A Sasuke Hinata fanfic
by Jashiku
Summary: Sasuke came back to his Konoha village only to find it in ruins. Guilt burries him, and so does the hatred of the surviving villagers. The only one who seems to show him hope and compassion is Hinata.
1. Chapter 1

**SasuHina fanfic**

Yeah, I know this is the worst ever Naruto pairing, but it's also something to give thought too... I'm NOT against this couple by the way. Otherwise, i wouldn't be writing about them. By the way, I'm really new to FF so ... don't get mad if I end up deleting some old work to renew it or something ". Also, I'm usually busy ... it's a miracle that i got this done. Please be patient for chapter 2. (

Thankz for the support you guys! Now on to the fanfic.

**The day Sasuke returned**

He gasped. The layout in front of him, the scene he saw … it just took his breath away. Konoha … it was in ruins now. Some buildings were still on fire. Bodies were everywhere. Blood splattered the walkway. Even the mountain of Hokages looked seriously beaten up. It was falling apart.

He was falling apart.

Sasuke slowly walked around, struggling to stand. His knees were shaking, though it didn't seem like it.

He finally decided to go back to Konoha, and the day he did … he saw what was expected, but beyond imaginable.

There was a war. Orochimaru's men against the people of the leaf village. Where was Sasuke that time? What was he doing?

An overwhelming sense of regret overcame his body. Was this all his fault?

The last Uchiha … was also the last Leaf Villager. That's what it would seem.

Sasuke walked to the bench where he painfully left his old teammate. Sakura. Then it hit him. What happened to her? In the blink of an eye, he ran to where she might've gone to. To the places where she usually goes, or to the places where she would go at a time, such as a war. His heart raced. There might be a chance that she survived. Yes. There might. There has to be …

A girl in red lay on the floor, in front of school Sasuke used to go to as a child. Her hair as pink as the cherry blossoms in the spring. Sakura laid still. Her eyes cold. Blood was trickling down the side of her mouth. "Sakura…no…" said Sasuke as he knelt beside her. He slowly sat her up and rested her head on his shoulder. Then he heard it. Her heart. It was barely beating, but it was enough proof that she was still alive. Barely.

Her breath was slow and light. It was faint. Sasuke knew Sakura wasn't dead. She was on the edge of death, though. His heart skipped a beat.

"Sasuke…kun…" said the dying girl with a tired voice. The boy would have never thought that he'd be so happy to hear this annoying girl's cherry sweet voice. He looked at her. Her emerald green eyes were clouded, and started to tear. She smiled weakly.

"You're back." A tear trickled down her bruised cheeks. "I waited … so long." She took a breath. "I knew you'd come back … sooner or later…" She started to breathe heavily. Sasuke wiped the blood off the side of her mouth, and the tear that sprang from her eye.

"I'm sorry …" he said. His voice clearly filled with regret. He did not cry, but his heart did. It ached so badly, he gritted his teeth.

"Sasuke-kun …" more tears came to Sakura's eyes. "Go find … Naruto …" Her voice cracked at saying Naruto's name. Sasuke's eyes widened. Naruto. He had to find him. Surely he wasn't dead either. Surely he'd be in better shape then Sakura. Sasuke felt a hint of hope. The hope faded when he heard Sakura start panting.

"Sasuke-kun…" her voice cracked again. "…I Love you…don't ever forget that." She took a deep breath. "Sakura…" Sasuke said as he felt the girl's body get colder. Her eyes went completely clouded. Her head dropped to one side. Her heart stopped beating…completely. Sakura Haruno was dead.

"Sakura!" Sasuke screamed. He held her against him once more. He didn't love her as she loved him, but she was still a person in his life. She was his sister-figure. He came to a conclusion. Whether he loved her as more then a friend or not, he still loved her. In her ear, he softly whispered. "I love you, too, Sakura… Rest in peace." He would give her a proper burial, but not now. There was no time. Naruto might be dying this very minute. Or worse, he could already be dead. Sasuke didn't want that.

He laid Sakura on her back, and placed her hands on her chest. "I won't be a burden to you anymore." He said as he moved her hair off her forehead. The boy always knew that Sakura worried about him constantly. He just never took notice.

It hurt him to just leave her body there, surrounded by other dead bodies. But he had no choice. "Good bye, Sakura."

He ran. He ran almost light speed fast looking for his friend. Where was Naruto? Where would he be in the middle of a war? …What place would he choose to die in…?

Sasuke shook his head. No. He's not dead. Naruto is strong, stronger then Sakura. He wouldn't let someone take his life. Not like that. He wouldn't.

Sasuke's heart beat grew quicker.

"NARUTO!" He screamed as he ran around the village. Not the Ramen shop. Not his house. Not the school. Where the hell is Naruto?

Sasuke ran to the grass fields where he and his classmates trained. He stopped in his tracks, and walked. Walked slowly on the blood-stained grass. The bodies were too gruesome to look at. He's seen death before. His brother Itachi. Again. Sasuke thought. It's happened again. Like the Uchiha clan. But this one… this was the whole village… it was too much.

A voice. A small, soft voice. He heard it. It was crying. "Naruto-kun…" it said.

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock. He followed the sad voice. It sounded familiar, yet he couldn't tell who it was. "Please Naruto-kun … don't leave me!" The voice sobbed. It got closer with every step Sasuke took. Then through the bushes he saw.

Naruto's body was still. His head rested on a young lady's lap. Sasuke couldn't quite tell who the young lady was. But he could tell that Naruto wasn't dead. Not yet.

He was about to go right through the bushes and just run to him. His brother-figure. His bestfriend. Sasuke wasn't just going to let him die. At least, not without a proper good bye.

He wanted to go to Naruto now. But he couldn't move. He just watched as he faded away slowly… "Naruto…" Sasuke whispered under his breath. He gritted his teeth. Anger and sadness, other emotions… they stirred inside of him. He hadn't felt this troubled in such a long time. He hadn't felt this alone … in such a long time… "Don't you dare die, you idiot…"

"Thank you…" Naruto said to the young lady. His cheeks were bruised, his hands were bleeding, and his clothes were tattered and ruined. Blood ran down the side of his mouth, like with Sakura. He coughed.

"Naruto-kun!" The girl said as she gripped his hand. Naruto looked up at her again, his eyes filled with sadness, but peace. "Thank you…" he said again. His voice weak and tired, "…for looking at me… when no one else did." Then his eyes slowly clouded, and his hand went limp. His head dropped to one side.

"NARUTO-KUN! NO!" The girl cried out. She held Naruto's body against hers.

Sasuke gritted his teeth even more. "You bastard…" his hands clutched into fists. "Why did you have to die?"

He rummaged through the bush until he got to the other side, and saw the girl's face clearly.

She looked up quickly, and her eyes grew wide with despair. Then she looked away and closed her eyes tight. "Please! Leave us alone!" She begged. Tears trickled down her face. "LEAVE!" She screamed out. Obviously, she thought Sasuke was an enemy of Konoha. It was to be expected. He had betrayed them by leaving them for Orochimaru a little more then four years ago.

"No.." Sasuke took a step forward. "It's not…"

The girl drew back, dragging Naruto's body with her. "Please…" Her voice was softer, and more gentle. Sasuke sighed, then knelt down to look at Naruto, and the girl's face.

"Hinata?" He said. His voice sounding surprised. Hinata looked up. Her eyes large and innocent. Her cheeks wet. "Sa-Sasuke-kun!" she stammered.

The Uchiha boy couldn't believe it was her. She was the last person he'd expect to survive this kind of tragedy. She didn't seem strong, or aggressive. He saw her as someone who was in the way. Someone who hesitated to attack when the time was right. Aside from that, he never really noticed her.

He did remember that her hair was shorter. Much shorter. Now her hair went down to her waste.

"Sasuke-kun…" she looked down at Naruto. More tears came to her eyes. "I'm sorry…" She knew that Naruto wasn't just special to herself, but Sasuke as well.

"…" Sasuke said nothing. He watched as Hinata laid Naruto on the floor so that he could properly be seen.

"Naruto…" An excruciating pain hit his chest. He breathed heavily. Hinata watched as Sasuke's eyes turned more bitter with every passing second. Her heart felt heavy. So did her breath. Her tears never seemed to stop coming.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun!" Said Hinata as she stood up and ran deeper into the woods. She would cry her heart out. She would sob until she was out of breath. After a certain distance, she fell to her knees and rested her head on soft moss. She'd lay there. Lay there until the pain was gone…

Sasuke looked up. Hinata had faded into the woods. He'd go after her later. Right now, it's Naruto's turn for his attention.

The Uchiha boy just knelt there. He kept staring at Naruto as if he'd suddently jump up. "You fool…" he whispered. "I thought you were gonna fight me…"

He leaned over, closer to his dear friend. "You weren't supposed to die!" He screamed, hoping for Naruto to somehow hear him. Sasuke leaned even more so his forehead touched his. He stayed that way. "Naruto…"

Suddenly, he felt something. It was faint, but definitely there. Naruto's life. He was still alive! Even the slightest bit. He could still be saved.

Sasuke sat up. He wanted to jump, he wanted to express his happiness. But now would not be the right time. "Sakura…" oh how he wished she was in Naruto's state. Or better. If only she could have been saved… if only Sasuke got back to Konoha earlier… on time…

More regret gripped his chest. He closed his eyes to take it all in. Ill. That's what he felt. If only it was him that was killed. He wished he was dead.

He heard the distant sobbing from Hinata, and followed it. She'd right now need to be with someone. So did he.

"Hinata?" Sasuke asked as he looked down at her. She slowly stood up while wiping her tears. Her face was still looking down. She seemed to quiver.

"Are there others?" he asked gently. "Y-yes…" Hinata nodded. She started to fiddle with her fingers.

Sasuke's heart lightened up a bit. "Where are they?"

Hinata didn't answer. She looked at her fingers, then to where Naruto was. Her eyes started to release tears again. Her usually pale cheeks were rosy.

Sasuke started to get irritated. "He's not dead." he said sternly, but as gently as he could. The shy girl looked up at him. She looked for any trace of deception in his eyes. None found. He couldn't possibly be telling the truth. He could be lying! He could just be saying that to make her feel better. But then, why would he care about her feelings?

"Really?" Hinata's already bright silver eyes brightened even more. Hope was growing inside of her. Sasuke could see it. He didn't need sharingan to see it.

"Yes." He replied. A feeling of surprise shot through his body when Hinata suddenly wrapped her arms around him. She squeezed him, and buried her face into his chest. "Thank you." She said. Then let go, and ran to her beloved Naruto.

Sasuke fixed his clothes. Why'd she do that? It's not like he brought Naruto to life. "Hm?" his shirt was slightly wet with Hinata's tears. "…"

What was he feeling? He was warm. But not feverish. He felt more energetic. More awake, and a bit better. Did Hinata's embrace give him this feeling? He never really thought of the girl before. But for some reason, she was in his mind right now. He shook his head and brushed her off. "Interesting…"

The Kyuubi. That was the only reason Naruto survived. He was healing quickly.

Apparently, the survivors of the war found refuge somewhere not too far from the village of Konoha. Only a few hours walk, it was a big space in the middle of the forest. Enough space to hold a small population of people. A little bit further was a waterfall. Perfect for washing, bathing, and drinking if distilled.

The forest area held a lot of good vegetation, and wild life. So food was not a problem.

"Tsunade-sama!" Hinata called out as she ran through the area. Tents were set up so that the people had a dry and warm place to sleep. The forest dews over night. And from what Sasuke could see, it was going to rain soon. The sky was completely gray. Not a spot of blue. It was like the world was about to end. Well, to him, it did.

Some people looked up as they saw the Uchiha boy pass them by, carrying the seemingly lifeless body of Naruto. He ignored them. Sasuke knew what they were thinking…

The traitor is here.

He recognized some of them. Neji, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Shino. Where were the others?

Sasuke could feel their glares to the core of his soul. He didn't care. That didn't matter right now.

Hinata entered a yellow tent. It was bigger than the other's. Sasuke followed. As he entered, he saw people laid out on the floor which was coated with white blankets so that they weren't too uncomfortable. They were all injured.

Tsunade, a woman with long, blonde hair was tending to one of them. She looked up as the two entered. Her face seemed to grow pale. "Sasuke…" she said as she walked up to him. "You're back." Her face looked more strict now, as if Sasuke had been expected, but was late. Sasuke stared back at her. His face expressionless. Emotionless. "Yeah," he began. But didn't continue. For moments, the two just kept looking at each other, as if mutually arguing.

Finally, Hinata interrupted, "Tsunade-sama! Naruto, he needs treatment."

Tsunade turned to the silver-eyed girl, then to the limp body of Naruto, carried by Sasuke. Her expression had a mix of relief and terror. She took Naruto's body and held it.

"He's alive, huh?" said Tsunade. Her voice jumped a bit. It looked like the woman was about to cry.

Quickly, but gracefully, she carried Naruto to the far-side of the tent, and placed him on a stack of blankets. She moved a strand of hair from his forehead.

"The Kyuubi … It's because of the Kyuubi that he's healing so quickly." Tsunade's lips formed a slight grin.

Hinata walked up to the unconscious boy. She looked down at him, her eyes watering again. "Naruto-kun…" She lifted a hand to her mouth, looked down, and closed her eyes. "I'm so glad." Tsunade smiled. Sasuke just kept his eyes on Naruto. _So this is the power of the Kyuubi_. He smirked. When he thought about what this unconscious boy must have gone through, he thought it was impossible to kill him. Then again, as Sasuke looked at Naruto's worn out body, maybe it wasn't.

"Sasuke," said Tsunade without looking at him. "Take Hinata outside. She'll suffer more is she stays in here." She looked at the Uchiha boy, her eyes seemingly on fire. "We'll talk later." Sasuke nodded, and stepped out of the tent with the timid girl.

When outside of the tent, Hinata started to walk into the trees without a word. Sasuke watched her as she went. He thought, _What now?_ Hinata really was a strange girl. He sighed, and followed after her. If she were to get hurt, Tsunade would have his head. Normally, he wouldn't really care. But for some reason, this time he did. Maybe from regret of leaving the village. From regret of not being able to protect it. His home.

Sasuke found Hinata sitting on a boulder, staring at a stream. He sat cross-legged on the ground next to her. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at her. What was she thinking? Shouldn't she be in a better mood now that she knew that Naruto wasn't dead? The thought faded in his mind as he listened to the water. It wasn't glistening, because the sun was behind heavy clouds, but it still sparkled in its own way. For once today, Sasuke felt really – if he could describe it – at peace. Even for a brief moment. The only sound to be heard was the running water. It was calming. _Maybe this is why Hinata is quiet right now_, He thought.

The silence between the two was broken by the girl's voice. "I was really about to leave him there." Sasuke didn't say anything. So Hinata continued. "If you hadn't felt that bit of life in him, I really would have left him there alone." She bowed her head down in shame. "I was a coward." She started to sniffle. "I…I couldn't protect Naruto-kun. I was weak." Her voice seemed to have squeaked at the last word. Sasuke looked at her. His face emotionless as usual.

Hinata continued, "Sasuke-kun," she faced the boy next to him. Her cheeks were rosy, and one tear escaped from her eye. "Thank you, again." She smiled and squinted her eyes in slight happiness.

A flicker of something Sasuke couldn't describe sparked inside of him. It was sympathy. The smile on Hinata's pale face still reflected pain. He returned his gaze to the stream. "It was nothing." He said as he stood up. Hinata looked up with a puzzled expression her face. Then she turned back to face the peaceful stream. Sasuke started walking towards camp.

"Oh, S-Sasuke-kun. Wait!" Hinata called out before he could take another step. He turned around, and she was holding something in her hands. Hastily, she walked up to him. "Um… t-this… Naruto-kun kept it… I…" She held out the item in front of her towards Sasuke with both her hands. "…I think this is yours." In respect, she bowed her head.

The item she held was Sasuke's Konoha forehead protector. It still had the jagged scratch across its symbol. The scratch Naruto made in their last battle.

Sasuke looked at it with sorrow in his eyes. He took it from Hinata's gentle hands, and clutched onto it. "Thanks." He said as he stuffed it in his pocket.

Hinata blushed slightly.

Unexpectedly, a rock hit Sasuke at the back of his head. He flinched, but didn't make a sound. Slowly, he turned around to see who threw it. His gaze fell upon Kiba, who was glaring at him with the most hate in his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" He asked in an agitated tone.

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed in anger. He gritted his teeth.

"How dare you come back, you traitor!" Kiba continued. Hinata was about to say something, but Sasuke cut her off with a raise of his hand. She looked at him in disbelief, and threw the same expression at Kiba. He ignored her.

Shikamaru and Neji watched from the side. They didn't want to be involved, but Sasuke could see they really wanted to hurt him. Their glares were painful enough.

Kiba narrowed his eyes even more. He growled and raised his arm to throw another rock. From what Sasuke could see, it was sharper then the last one.

"I'll kill you!" Kiba exclaimed with pure rage in his voice.

Sasuke didn't flinch or move. He knew that he deserved this. He felt that he did. It was all his fault.

"Kiba-kun!" Hinata called out. The dog-boy ignored her.

Sasuke waited for the impact of the rock. On his face, on his stomach, or on his chest. Yet nothing came. It took him time to notice that Kiba's wrist was restrained with what would seem like a rope of flee-like insects. Shino's work. The ninja who controlled bugs slowly appeared from behind a tree. He made himself more visible by walking out of the shadows.

"That won't do us any good now, Kiba." He said sternly through the collar that covered his mouth. Sasuke looked at him. Shino had shades on, but he could still tell that this ninja was glaring at him with rage, and hate. Slowly, Sasuke straightened up, and seemed to have relaxed his posture. But he was still tense. Hinata could see that his hands were shaking slightly. She pitied him.

But Sasuke's hands weren't shaking in fear. They were shaking in the pain of knowing that he didn't deserve to live. That he deserved more then the blow of a small, sharp rock at the back of his head. Regret made his heart feel heavy. His head started to hurt a little. He closed his eyes and looked away. Then he placed his hands in his pockets, which made him look calm.

"Dammit, Shino! Don't interfere!" Kiba shouted as he released himself from the grip of Shino's insects.

"Sasuke is a traitor! He left us and joined Orochimaru, and then _this _happened." He pointed to the direction of where the camp would be.

"My family's gone." His hands clenched into fists. "That includes Akamaru." Slowly, he lowered his head. "They're all gone…" he murmured.

"We all lost someone, Kiba." said Shikamaru, as he stepped in to join the group.

"We all know how you feel." Neji joined in as well.

"But hurting Sasuke won't do anything." Hinata said softly from behind Sasuke, who looked back at her. Regret hit his heart once again. Another weight on his chest.

Shino said to Sasuke in a calm, but stern voice, "You had nothing to do with this massacre, I assume." He pushed his shades higher up his nose.

Kiba growled, "Of course he did! He's one of Orochimaru's minions."

Sasuke kept his eyes away from them.

Neji spoke, "He _was_. But I didn't see him during the time it was happening."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Me neither."

Sasuke looked up at them. He didn't look it, but he was in disbelief. They were defending him?

Kiba's expression softened slightly. He turned away from the group and stomped back towards the camp. "Ki-Kiba-kun!" Hinata called out. She was about to run to her friend, but Shino stepped in front of her to stop her. He shook his head slowly. At this, the timid girl lowered her head to hide a sad face. Sympathy hit Sasuke again. Since when did he feel such an emotion?

"By the way," Shikamaru began. "Old Tsunade wants a word with ya."

Sasuke turned to him. Then looked away, and walked passed the others as if they were never there. His stride was quick. It was easy to tell he wanted to get away from the people that had a burning anger against him as fast as possible.

Hinata watched him as he left. She wanted to follow after him, but she couldn't move. Her feet stayed in place. "Sasuke-kun…" she murmured.

It was odd. She never took an interest in him at all before. Because of Naruto, she never really noticed other boys. She wasn't like the other girls of her village who took time on their looks. In fact, she never really understood them. From what she's noticed, no matter how pretty the girls try to be, like Sakura-san for example, or Ino-san, the boys, like Sasuke-kun, never seem to look at them. Or notice them for that matter. It all seemed pointless.

Hinata brushed him off his mind and worried more on Naruto. She lifted her hand to her mouth and looked down. Shino walked up to her, casually.

"Naruto's healing quickly, I heard." He said calmly. "The nine-tails fox?"

Hinata looked at him with worried eyes. "Yes." She replied after a moment's hesitation. Shino nodded and looked at the direction of the camp.

Shikamaru and Neji already started walking back.

"Are you going to go back now?" Shino asked without looking at the sad girl.

"No, not yet." She replied.

She walked back towards the stream, and sat on the boulder again. Shino followed after her and stood next to her. "I think I'll stay here for a bit. You don't have to wait." She said. Her voice filled with sorry, but a tint of relief. The boy behind shades looked at her and nodded. Then he walked back to the camp. Nothing but the sound of the water filled Hinata's ears.

Sasuke's meeting with Tsunade was in another part of the forest. Still near the camp, but far enough so no one could hear them speak.

"What made you decide to come back?" asked Tsunade. She placed her hand on her waste like an impatient mother. Sasuke crossed his arms and leaned against a tree.

"I just felt like it." He replied. Tsunade scowled. "You just felt like it?"

Sasuke said nothing. His eyes were on the ground.

Tsunade just sighed. "I supposed you had nothing to do with this massacre."

Sasuke remained expressionless. He didn't say anything.

Tsunade sighed again. She looked at the camp. Her facial expression softened.

"After all this time…" she trailed off.

Sasuke looked at the camp as well. A shot of emotional pain went through his body. He looked away. Regret was still heavy in him. Not being able to hold back, he asked, "When did this all start?"

Tsunade looked at him. It was obvious now in Sasuke's eyes that he was in pain.

She answered, "About a month ago." She leaned against a tree, and placed her foot on a small boulder. "Armies of the Hidden Village of Wind, little by little, kept on coming to our Konoha." Her eyes fell on the floor.

"We thought that they wouldn't cause any problems, but," she paused for a moment. Sasuke looked up at her. He could tell she didn't really want to talk about this. But he needed to know. She continued, "The Anbu started disappearing one by one." She raised her head to look at the camp again. "After a while, we had all had enough. Some Anbu suggested we destroy anyone of the wind village, but I went against it. We still did not have proof that they were the cause." She paused again. Her body seemed to tense up. "I regret that decision."

She shut her eyes in pain as flashbacks from that time flowed through her mind.

"Small conflicts were created between our villagers and the villagers of the wind. So there were wars within the neighborhood. We all thought this would pass, but that thought was false." Tsunade gritted her teeth, trying to get the words out. After a few days, Orochimaru came to me. He said that Konoha would be a worthy sacrifice for him … so that his power would grow."

Sasuke gritted his teeth as the last sentence escaped Tsunade's lips.

"That bastard!" She punched the tree she was leaning on. "As if he wasn't strong enough." Slowly, she rested her forehead against the injured tree.

"_You're village is a worthy sacrifice for me. It will help me gain more power. And since Konoha has grown soft, I'm sure the other villages wouldn't mind. I mean, who'd want such weak people as allies? You could say, I'm doing all of them a favor by ridding them of your precious Konoha."_

Tsunade said these words with such hate, it hit Sasuke like an arrow from a bow.

"It seems like just yesterday when he said that to me…" she continued. Her expression softened a bit. But her hands were in tight fists.

"Shortly after, we all declared war. Anyone from the wind village, or who is associated with Orochimaru was to be exterminated." Tsunade's eyes closed as she struggled to tell the story.

"Our troops either died, or ran away in fear. After that, Orochimaru's men decided to finish off the rest of the village … and that's when this massacre began … for weeks people had to live in fear. Passing days brought passing lives. Konoha was almost completely wiped out. Survivors, or people that those bastards decided was not worthy of their blood-covered hands traveled hours away, and formed this camp. Their Refuge. This is where we will be seeking shelter until our surviving villagers are strong enough to thrive in Konoha again."

The woman stood up straight, and faced the Uchiha boy. Her hands became less tense and she rested one on her waste.

"Now you know." She said sternly.

Sasuke looked away, unable to meet Tsunade's burning gaze. He gripped his chest, not caring if the woman across from him could see.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" she asked. "Tch." Sasuke replied. His eyes were on the floor, and they were filled with pain, and anger.

"Damn Orochimaru…" He cursed. "How'd I become so stupid as to …" he trailed off. That sentence just could not be finished. After a silent moment, he felt a tender hand rest on his shoulder.

"That doesn't matter anymore." said Tsunade softly. She leaned over so he could hear her more clearly. Even through his agony.

"You're here now. That's all that matters." She smiled slightly. Sasuke looked up at her. He wanted to say, "I'd rather be dead." But he kept his mouth shut.

How would he matter to anyone now? Surely Naruto still hates his guts. And not just Naruto, but everyone else from the village who knew him. Being alive was truly pointless.

"Alright, let's go." Tsunade interrupted his thoughts. "Where?" asked Sasuke.

The fifth Hokage stood up straight, and looked at the village.

"To burry the other villagers of course."

Sasuke looked up at her in surprise. After a while, he nodded and stood up to follow her. The least he could do for his old village was to give it a proper burial.

It was night by the time everyone got to the village. The dead bodies were buried somewhere near where Sasuke found Naruto. Many holes were dug on the ground. The aroma started to get uncomfortable.

It was dark out, but everyone was accompanied by a torch or candle. One side of the surviving villagers suggested that they burry their loved ones tomorrow in the morning, but the other side demanded they give them a burial before they rot. There was so much tension. Sasuke almost wished he never came back.

"Here." Shikamaru threw a shovel at the Uchiha boy.

"Start digging in that area, about four holes. Tell Tsunade when you're done."

Sasuke didn't like to be told what to do, but he didn't complain. He was in no place to do that right now.

In a few hours, he finished digging. As he climbed out of the last hole, he could feel some of the surviving villagers glare at him. He could almost hear their thoughts as well, "He should stay in that hole, where he belongs."

This feeling of regret was turning into anger inside of him. So he tried his best to ignore them, and not care.

"Tsunade, I finished digging over there." He pointed to the spot Shikamaru ordered him to dig. Tsunade nodded. "Alright, I'll tell the others to bring the bodies in."

As the men carried the bodies to the graves, something caught Sasuke's eyes. A girl in red, laying still on the stretcher. Sakura.

He couldn't move. He watched as the men carried her body away, and lower it into a grave hole.

"Sasuke-kun…" her voice seemed to echo in his head. "I knew you'd come back." Oh, how he wished she spoke to him right now. How he wished her voice wasn't just a flashback. "I love you … don't ever forget that." Her voice kept on echoing in his head. He could still feel her body going cold in his arms.

"Sakura…" he murmured. He remembered the regret that he had neglected for a few hours. It gripped his chest, and took his breath away. He didn't want to see the sight in front of him. Sakura's body being buried… it was unbearable for him. Sasuke could have given her the time of her life. He could have given her notice, but it was too late now. She's gone. After a while, Sasuke realized. He had just dug up her grave.

Not just hers, but everyone else's. This was all his fault. He couldn't protect anyone. He just let it happen. If he hadn't left, would this place be any better?

Sasuke was blaming himself again. He was lost in thought. Nothing mattered to him right now. All that mattered was regret, pain, and sorrow. The only emotions he could possibly feel.

The Uchiha boy was interrupted by a soft voice. "Um… Sasuke-kun…?"

He quickly turned his head to its direction. His hope was that it was Sakura. Only she seemed to call him "Sasuke-kun". He could not think of anyone else who would call him that. Discouragement hit him when he found Hinata standing in front of him.

"A-are you okay?" she stammered. Hinata was still scared of talking to this boy, but it felt appropriate to do so.

"No." Sasuke wanted to answer. But instead he replied, "Yeah … it's nothing." Then he turned to face the graves he'd dug. After a moment's hesitation, he walked towards them. Just one more time, even for a brief moment, he wanted to see Sakura's face. Fighting his regret, he looked down upon the black hole that held the body of the girl with the pink hair. She was barely visible. So he hovered his torch over her grave. For a minute, she looked like she was only sleeping. Her face was peaceful, yet bruised. Her pink hair was glittered by the torch light. She looked warm. Sasuke was almost glad she died. She looked so peaceful right then, and he wouldn't be a burden to her anymore. She was finally at rest.

"Sakura-san…" Hinata said from behind Sasuke. He almost jumped. "She was a good person." Tears filled up the timid girl's eyes. "Her healing skills were going so well too." From the torch light, Sasuke could see tears starting to stream down her face. Sympathy hit him again. "Just a week ago, I broke my arm during training." Her eyes zoned out, though tears were still leaking from them. "Sh-she just touched it, and a warm light started to glow from her hands." Slowly, she walked up towards Sakura's grave. "And before I knew it, my arm was healed." A slight smile stretched across Hinata's lips. "Sh-she was j-just here." She looked down upon Sakura's limp body, and placed her hands together against like she was praying. Sasuke looked at the sorry girl from behind. If only he could do something to cheer her up. Hesitantly, he raised his hand to touch her shoulder.

"Hinata!" Kiba called out. Hinata looked at him. She could see that he was still mad from a while ago. He glared at Sasuke who wasn't even looking at him.

"Let's go." Kiba said as gently as he could. "Neji's waiting."

Hinata nodded, "I'll … I'll catch up. P-please, go on ahead." Kiba gave Sasuke one last stinging glare, then walked on. "Hurry up."

Hinata turned back to look at Sasuke. He was looking at her, but not directly. His mind was somewhere else. "I'll go now." She said as she bowed. Then she ran after Kiba.

Sasuke blankly looked at her as she left. Everything felt unreal. He saw Ino lowered into the other grave hole he'd dug. Shikamaru was standing next to it, watching her. From his eyes, he could tell he really cared about Ino. Even though she was pretty much obsessed with the Uchiha boy. After a while, he met Sasuke's eyes. They were in pain. And Sasuke could feel it. As if he wasn't in enough pain already. Sasuke looked away. He saw Tsunade, and walked to her.

A question hit him. He needed to ask the fifth Hokage about it.

"Where's Kakashi?" Sasuke blurted out, trying to sound as calm as possible. He saw Anko's body, and some other Jounin, but where was Kakashi?

And speaking of Kakashi, "And Iruka?"

Tsunade looked at him puzzled. "A few weeks after the war, Kakashi, and Iruka disappeared." She said unsurely.

"Even some other Jounin are missing." Her tone turned sad. "They're either captured by Orochimaru, or dead somewhere else."

Sasuke spaced out. "Dead?" No, they can't be dead. Kakashi is the most skillful Jounin he's ever met, plus he has Sharingan. And he'd be protecting the other Jounin. Sasuke gritted his teeth.

Tsunade sighed in grief. "For all we know," she looked at the Mountain of Hokages. "They probably ran away." Then she looked down and let out a sad laugh. "But I know that they'd never do that." A painful smile appeared on her face as she turned to look at the boy. Sasuke couldn't bare to look at her. He turned away, only to see a crowd of people mourning. They hovered over their loved ones' graves. He noticed that there were only a few people that survived this massacre. "Tch." He gritted his teeth. "All these people…" he bowed his head. Looking at what was left of the village, it was unbearable. Tsunade's expression softened. It turned to a more worried face. She placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder in reassurance.

"It's not your fault."

"But … I couldn't protect anyone." Sasuke's voice was raspy. Almost like he was whispering to himself.

"Maybe you should go back." Tsunade suggested. "You know the way back, right?" Sasuke nodded.

And so, he started to walk back. Hands in his pockets, face down. He was covered in dirt, but that didn't matter. The trail was dark. The moonlight did not seem to help. It's possible to get lost.

"Wait, Sasuke-kun!" a soft, but unsure, and hesitant voice called out. He stopped in his tracks, and looked back. Hinata was running towards him with a torch.

"Ah!" She tripped, and the torch flew in the air. Sasuke caught it with one hand. Hinata ended up faced-down on the floor. Awkwardly, she lifted herself up.

Sasuke sighed. "You okay?"

"Y-yes. Sorry."

Sasuke offered a hand to help her up. Hesitantly she took it in acceptance. A sensation came over his body. What was this girl to him?

Hinata dusted herself off. Her face was visibly red from embarrassment.

"A-are you walking back?" she asked after she looked a little cleaner.

Sasuke nodded.

"It's easy to get lost. You should bring a torch …" She trailed off as she saw her torch in the Uchiha boy's hand. Again she blushed, and looked away.

Sasuke offered to give it back, but Hinata waved her hand in rejection.

"It's f-fine." She laughed nervously. "I'll go back with you."

"You don't have to."

"But…"

"Don't you have people to mourn to?"

Hinata looked up at him. Her eyes started to sparkle. Tears were forming.

Bad question to ask.

Sasuke didn't show any sign of regret. Hinata looked down and wiped a small tear away before it had a chance to escape from her eye.

"I've mourned enough." She looked up. Her eyes were more alive now. They looked determined. The torch light made them look even more distinguished. Sasuke's heart seemed to have a small weight lifted off of it. Was this girl giving him relief?

"B-besides…" Hinata started to fiddle with her fingers. "I'm worried about Naruto-kun."

That's right. Naruto was still alive. By now, he's probably awake, and stubbornly trying to get up from his bed. Sasuke could just picture him arguing with the person who's supposed to be watching over him. He smirked. It was a nuisance to admit, but he could not wait to go back, and see that idiot's bright face.

"Let's go back then. Together." Said Sasuke. Hinata looked up at him in surprise. After a moment, she nodded.


	2. Chapter 2

**SasuHina Fanfic 2**

Making sense so far? Again, I'm not a big fan of this couple, but I respect you if you absolutely adore them. I like writing about these two, actually. Enjoy! I hope you people are okay with my writing. I don't usually write, heheh ".

**The day they Reunited**

The walk was awkward. Other then the sound of their feet hitting against the dirt trail, and the occasional cricket from the insects, it was quiet.

Sasuke and Hinata just could not go into conversation. They had absolutely nothing in common, aside from the fact that both their families were massacred. And it didn't seem right to talk casually after all that's happened and seen.

A sound from the bushes startled Hinata. She jumped, and stepped away from its direction. Sasuke, holding the torch high in the air, stepped in front of her. Guard up, battle stance position, senses heightened, he was ready to fight.

After a while, something finally shuffled out of the bushes. Hinata held her breath, and Sasuke tensed up his stance. It took a moment for both of them to realize that it was just a fox. It's tail twitched, and its blue eyes sparkled in the torch light.

Sasuke could hear Hinata let out a sigh. "It w-was just a fox." She laughed nervously. Sasuke lowered his guard, and looked more relax.

He let the fox walk across to the other side of the path. What a relief.

They proceeded with their awkward walk. Hinata wished that another creature came by to ruin this unwanted tension. Desperately, she wanted this wall between her and this Uchiha boy to break down. Even just for this one moment.

"Y-you know?" she stammered. Her voice quivered slightly as she let the words out.

Sasuke turned to face her, expecting her to continue.

"That fox, he looked a lot like Naruto-kun." Her face brightened red. Why did she say that? Immediately, she regretted those words. She looked at her steps, hiding her eyes with her bangs.

A slight smile twitched the side of Sasuke's lips. Just for a moment. Looking up at the sky, he replied, "It did, didn't it?"

Hinata slowly looked up at him. An embarrassed smile crossed her face.

More awkwardness overcame the two. Hinata's brain frantically tried to look for something else to say so it would go away, but all that thinking gave her stress. So she gave up, and just let the silence take her.

It was quite nice, after a while. Nothing but the sound of crickets, and steps on gravel. A small stream could be heard as well, a few minutes away in the side of the trail.

With Sasuke, Hinata felt safe. This darkness seemed like nothing. The moon could barely be seen behind the clouds, but it still looked beautiful, and mysterious. She looked around some more, to observe the dark wonders. Her gazes fell upon the boy beside her. Actually, his eyes. Her own couldn't seem to separate from them. They were plain black, nothing special. So why couldn't she look away? Her heart seemed to have skipped a beat. And it felt like she stopped breathing. That was only for a moment though, since Sasuke's eyes moved to their side to look at her.

Immediately, she tore her gaze away from them. Her heart raced. What was happening to her? This feeling only occurs when she's around Naruto-kun.

"What were you looking at?" Sasuke's voice almost made her jump.

Hinata smiled embarrassedly and scrambled her thoughts to get out an answer.

She couldn't say, "I was admiring your eyes." That was too … wait, she was admiring his eyes? No, no. Come on, Hinata, think of something.

"I…" she started, her thoughts still scrambling in her head. She started to fiddle with her fingers

Sasuke sighed. This girl is odd … why did he even ask her that question in the first place? He usually wouldn't care. Why was he caring now? Damn it, this girl is making him confused.

Finally, an answer came to the girl's head.

"I was looking at fireflies." she said. Fireflies?

Sasuke turned to face his side where Hinata was supposedly looking. He stopped in his tracks. From behind him, Hinata was trying to hide her shocked expression.

No! There are no fireflies. It was almost fall, and it'd be too cold for them to be around. If only Hinata had come up with a more believable answer.

Her face went completely red, and her heart beat hard against her chest. She was sure the boy infront of her could hear it.

"Umm … I mean …" she trailed off as she caught the view of what Sasuke was looking at.

Fireflies.

Hinata's eyes grew wide with wonder. Fireflies in early fall.

They looked like neon-green dots floating gracefully back and forth. It was beautiful, especially in this darkness. Seeing them, she felt so warm, and welcome. She couldn't help but walk towards them. In awe, she stepped into the centre of where the fireflies were gathered. A soft smile appeared on her pale face. She lifted a hand up so one could land on it. Their green glow reflected off her silver eyes. At that moment, Hinata was the firefly princess.

Sasuke was in awe as well. Not just from the fact that there were fireflies, but from the view of Hinata standing with them. It looked like she herself was glowing in a beautiful green. And she looked so peaceful. That smile on her face made him feel like nothing was wrong with the world. The heaviness on his chest seemed to have disappeared. Was this relief? He wasn't certain, so he didn't smile. But his expression was much softer then it usually was.

A water droplet fell upon the torch light, which made a quick sizzling sound. Soon after, another droplet fell, this time on Sasuke's arm. Then another, then another. It was raining. Hinata frowned as she saw the green of the fireflies' light sink and fade away slowly. She put on her hood, and let her long hair drape down from the side.

Sasuke looked up and let the cold drops hit his face. It was refreshing. In a little while, it wasn't just raining. It was pouring.

He was quickly reminded of that day he and Naruto fought … that battle at the Valley of the End. And its outcome.

A flashback of Naruto's limp body on the floor came to him. How the rain hit his peaceful, but bruised face. And the pain of the cursed seal on his shoulder. How it shot through his entire body so quickly, he fell to his knees.

He flinched from the memory and dropped his torch. From behind him, Hinata did not notice. She was too busy thinking of something else.

The fire on the torch died out.

"Byakuugan!" Hinata called out as she activated her power. It was too dark to see anything with ordinary eyes, so this was necessary. She turned her head to face different directions, looking for shelter. It was obvious on her face when she discovered one. It was just beyond where the fireflies were. Beyond the side of the dirt road where they both stood, just into the trees.

"Sasuke-kun!" said Hinata as she pointed deeper into the woods. "Th-there's um, a cave just straight ahead that way. D-do you think we should … stay there until the rain let's up?" As always, she sounded unsure.

Sasuke nodded anyway, then stepped out of the dirt road into a dark space.

"Ah-choo!" sneezed the Hyuuga girl. She hugged her knees to keep herself warm.

The cave was anything but comfortable. It was dark, and the walls were cold and somewhat wet. It wasn't very big, but it had enough space to hold at least five people.

Sasuke sighed. "We'll have to stay here till morning. I don't think the rain will stop anytime soon."

Hinata looked at him in surprise. "W-won't they be looking for us?"

The Uchiha boy kept his eyes on the rain. He looked like he was studying its motion.

"They probably stayed at the village. Not all the buildings are ruined."

Hinata lowered her head. She hugged her knees tighter as if to block the pain in her chest.

Sasuke turned his head to face her. The poor girl. She now knew what it was like to lose a family. Almost her whole clan was slaughtered. The only person she had left was Neji. No, not just Neji, but Kiba and Shino too. Her teammates.

So maybe she wasn't entirely alone … it was just Sasuke.

The pain he'd been trying to neglect hit his chest again. He looked away from the sad girl next to him.

More silence filled both their ears. The continuous splutter of the rain made their situation less awkward.

Hinata finally mustered up some confidence to speak.

"S-Sasuke-kun?" she stuttered. "Aren't y-you cold?" she was shivering. Her jacket wasn't warm enough. Hugging her knees didn't seem to help.

"No." Sasuke replied bluntly. Though, his hands were shaking. That's why he kept them in his pockets

All the Uchiha had on was his blue shirt with his family symbol on it, and his white shorts. Not exactly cold-season material.

He looked down at the dirt.

"The cold is nothing." He said with a tone that suited the temperature.

Hinata sneezed again. She didn't know what else to say. So she kept her mouth shut. She lowered her head and buried her face in her knees.

Sasuke could see she was trying not to shiver. With a sigh, he stood up.

Looking out into the wet darkness, he said, "I'll go gather up some wood."

Hinata looked up at him. Her eyes looking confused.

"For fire?"

"Yeah."

"B-but everything's wet outside."

"That doesn't matter. My fireball jutsu's strong enough to burn anything."

" … okay." The timid girl replied with her usual hesitant voice. She lowered her head again.

"Just please … " she said, her voice sounding muffled. " … don't take too long." She hugged her knees tighter. The thought of being alone again. It was too much for her.

Sasuke looked at her with his plain black eyes, showing no emotion. But sympathy was hitting him once again. It wouldn't be easily noticed. His eyes were stern. They always were. It was hard to tell if he possessed any emotions at all.

With a nod, he left Hinata alone in the dark cave. She felt uneasy looking around. And surprisingly, she felt colder too. Her face stayed buried in her knees. Alone … she was alone again …

It felt like there was a lump in her throat that she could not swallow. Her eyes stung, and started to water. She was crying again. Letting out little hiccups and sobs. She just couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Father … Hanabi …" she muttered under her breath.

They were never really close to her, her father and sister. But she realized how much they meant to her when they passed. It was painful. And the thought of them led to the thought of the rest of her clan.

Her hands turned to fists. This feeling of devastation, and sorrow. Angst. It was not normal for her to feel such things.

"Kurenai-sensei …" The teacher who was like a mother to her. She was part of the reason Hinata was still alive today. Kurenai gave her life for her student.

Hinata continued to sit, with her head down, trembling. It wasn't from the cold anymore.

"I was too weak." She muttered. "I couldn't save any of them."

Her voice was shakier then usual. "All I've been doing is running away. I don't deserve to be here!"

With one of her fists, she hit the wall behind her, in an attempt to remove these negative feelings inside.

"Why can't I ever change?" her sobs were louder now. She's already been through this argument with herself the day the war happened.

But that didn't remove the burden she carried on her chest. Beating herself up wasn't enough.

Her strength wasn't enough.

Sasuke didn't seem to exist at that moment. No one did. She was alone, in a dark world. No one would come to save her. Not Naruto, not Kurenai-sensei, not anyone … it was just her.

"I'm alone … I'm alone …" she repeated in a hushed tone, through the lump in her throat. "I'm alone …" Every word that came out of her mouth became lighter and lighter, making her voice harder to hear. She started to rock gently back and forth.

"I'm alone …"

"You're not." Another voice interrupted. It was a deep, sad voice. But at the same time, it was strong and sure. Hinata stopped rocking and looked up at its direction, outside of the cave. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the sight.

Sasuke stepped into the cave, soaked from the cold rain, carrying a bunch of cleanly chopped logs on his shoulders.

He knelt down, and dropped them on the dirt floor as gently as he could.

"My whole clan was massacred." He said as he arranged the wet logs on the opposite side of the cave from where Hinata was sitting.

"By my brother, who I trusted, and looked up to." His back was to the Hyuuga girl, who was still trying to hold back her sobs.

"Everyone I knew and loved died. And I saw it happen." He was still arranging the logs. There must be a dozen of them.

He continued,

"I saw it happen with detail. I couldn't do anything." Another log arranged.

"So I vowed to be an avenger, and kill that man who made others suffer. Especially me." His voice turned colder and tenser at the last sentence.

Hinata kept looking at him with big eyes. Her ears straining to hear his reason for being the way he was.

Sasuke's bitterness was so obvious, her stomach started to feel uneasy.

The Uchiha boy turned to her, and shot her with eyes that surprised her. The eyes of an avenger. They were seemingly on fire.

She gripped her knees at the sight of them.

"I've had to spend my days alone. Carrying the burden of knowing I could not do anything to save my family. Knowing how I was too weak." He continued.

"And coming back to Konoha … I've had to relive that nightmare of a life. Even if it was just a few hours, the pain was immeasurable. And it would scar me for the rest of my life."

He stood up and looked down on Hinata. She was still letting out small sobs.

"You have your team mates, Neji, and Naruto. How could you say you were alone?" He walked to her side, and sat next to her. He closed his eyes in an attempt to block out painful memories.

"You haven't even suffered half of what I've been through."

He opened his eyes and quickly did his hand symbols to make his fireball jutsu. After a heavy intake of air, he lightly blew out a fire ball the size of one's fist. Blowing too much would harm him, and the girl he was with.

The Hyuuga girl watched as he did his jutsu to burn the logs. What he said seemed harsh but she guessed that was his way of comforting. It did feel a little foolish to say she was alone when she has people alive who care for her. Compared to Sasuke, her situation was nothing.

A small smile stretched her pale lips. Her hands weren't clutched into fists anymore. They were more relaxed.

She felt a little bit better now. Especially with the warmth of the fire Sasuke made. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket.

The Uchiha boy sighed as he let out his last breath for the jutsu. He leaned his back against the wall and let the fire's warmth overtake his cold, wet body. It was a comfort.

"We should sleep." He said as he curled himself up on the floor. His cheek rested on his arm so his head wouldn't touch the dirt floor.

"We'll start walking back tomorrow morning."

Closing his eyes, he realized how tired he was. Traveling from Orochimaru's hideout to Konoha, then to the hidden space in the forest and back. It took a lot out of him. In a short while, he fell sound asleep.

Hinata stayed the way she was. Back against the cave wall, knees hugged against her chest. She lowered her head and closed her eyes. Sleeping would be a temporary escape from the madness she'd been through.

Tomorrow would be a new day.

Hinata awoke first to a bright morning. The fire Sasuke made last night had died out. She stretched, and stepped out of the cave. Glittering droplets of water rolled off the leaves of the forest. The moisture made the morning air cool, and refreshing. The world was wonderful at that moment. Problems didn't exist.

She gathered up some fruit from a nearby tree. They would provide the energy needed for the rest of the walk back to camp.

As she entered the cave, Sasuke tossed. Was he dreaming? He turned to Hinata's direction. Slowly, she placed the fruit in front of him. So that when he awoke, he could just get them with the stretch of an arm.

She sat down, and paused as her eyes caught the sight of Sasuke's pale face. He looked much more serene. Almost gentle.

She hadn't realized that she was staring at the boy, until he opened his eyes and gave her a strange look after a series of blinks. He sat up, and stretched.

The girl immediately switched her gazes to the fruit. Her cheeks slightly shaded in red. Was she admiring his looks again?

Sasuke grabbed a fruit and examined it for a while before he took a bite. Probably worried that the fruit she'd taken was contaminated or something. But after a thought, he can tell she wouldn't do something that stupid.

Together, they ate a quiet, and awkward breakfast.

In a short while, they were ready to continue their journey. They would be at the refuge camp by noon at least.

Yet again, the walk wasn't very pleasant. Hinata constantly tried to find words to start a conversation, and Sasuke just didn't mind the silence and kept on walking without a stressful thought. He'd look at Hinata occasionally to check on her, because she seemed to be out of it most of the time. Her head was always down, and her pace wasn't a rush. It was steady, and slow.

From time to time, Hinata would catch Sasuke's gaze at her, and they'd stare at one another for a while, until one of them looked away. Both of them knew that between them, something was starting, but neither could tell what, or why.

Complete opposites, being drawn together like the positive and negative of a magnet. It was ludicrous.

Sasuke saw from the corner of his eye that Hinata was looking at him this time. Well, more staring, but her eyes were still on him. She stopped in her tracks and her silver eyes stayed on him. Almost like she was in shock. He stopped walking, too, and turned around to face her. Before he could say anything, he found himself on the ground with Hinata protectively on top of him. A small bomb exploded behind her, and particles of dirt flew everywhere.

Apparently, Hinata had jumped on the boy to save him from an attack.

Immediately, he sat up, and tenderly placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sounding alert and worried. Hinata looked at him and nodded. At that, Sasuke pulled out his Kunai knife and stood up.

He activated his sharingan, and his senses were boosted up to an unnatural level.

Hinata hesitantly stood up. She wasn't sure what to do.

A deep, smooth laugh made her jump. It echoed through the forest, and made her stomach feel queasy.

"Orochimaru!" Sasuke exclaimed angrily as he saw a figure walk out of the shadows.

A pale man, with long black hair, and striking eyes that looked that of a snake, wearing a loose robe appeared. An eager smile stretched his lips.

"Here you are, Sasuke-kun. We've been looking all over for you." He said in a disappointed tone. "You shouldn't have left your clan." He was still walking towards the Uchiha boy, who was tense and ready to fight at any moment. He clenched his teeth as he replied, "My clan's dead."

The man who looked like a snake stopped an arm-stretch away from him. He frowned. "Why, you don't like your new family, Sasuke-kun?" he placed his hands on his hips and arched his back to look at the sky. It looked like he was stretching. After that, he looked at Sasuke with a new expression on his face. His smile had returned.

"Or did you simply miss your old family, who could not give you anything, and decided to come back?" Orochimaru said this with a taunting voice. He licked his lips. "You shouldn't have done that, Sasuke-kun. I'm not done with you."

"This family gave me more then you could ever offer!" Exclaimed Sasuke as he swung his kunai at Orochimaru, and missed.

"You just used me, and to think joining you would make me stronger." He swung again, and missed. His movements were so swift.

"It did, didn't it?" said Orochimaru.

At this, Sasuke gasped. How didn't he see it? Orochimaru had appeared behind him, and had placed the tip of Sasuke's own kunai on its owner's neck. One sudden move, and Sasuke's throat would gain a cut.

"That's why I didn't want you to leave." Orochimaru whispered in the boy's ear deviously.

Sasuke gritted his teeth and violently swung back around. His kunai knife missing his neck, and giving Orochimaru a small cut on his cheek instead.

He stepped back and waited for the man's next move. Instead of an attack, he touched his cheek gently, and looked up at Sasuke with a deceiving smile. The boy's eyes widened. Hinata screamed, "Sasuke-kun! Your back!"

An explosive note was stuck on the Uchiha boy's back, and in only mere seconds, it would explode. Immediately, he reached for it, and ripped the dangerous paper off his shirt. It was thrown opposite side from where Hinata was, but not far enough. Before Sasuke could dodge, it exploded, and the force of it pushed him hard, slamming his back against a tree.

He gasped out blood, and fell to the ground, face down, his body aching and bruised. In that moment, everything felt like a dream. He couldn't see properly, and Hinata's screams seemed far away.

He forced himself to stand, only getting as far as sitting up. He winced as Orochimaru lifted him from the ground by the collar.

"Ready to go back now?" asked the man. It took a while for Sasuke's sight to settle. Hinata was screaming out his name, but she wasn't running to him.

"Hi..nata…" he said weakly. A big man, wearing the same styled robe as Orochimaru, had his arms wrapped tightly around the girl. She was lifted high off the ground, making her unable to do anything reckless.

"We can persuade you to come back in interesting ways, Sasuke-kun."

Orochimaru's voice made Sasuke feel sick. He slowly tried to get out another kunai, but before his hand reached his pocket, Orochimaru had wrapped one arm around him, holding a deadly-sharp kunai knife against the Uchiha boy's neck with this free hand.

Sasuke smirked. "You wouldn't kill me. You still need me."

"I need your power, not necessarily you." Replied Orochimaru smugly. "So I could kill you here and now, then the girl later. Or…" He eyed the man that held Hinata, and in exchange, the man squeezed her, tight. "Augh!" she yelled out in pain. Sasuke widened his eyes in shock.

"…I could kill the girl now, in front of you, and take your life later."

Sasuke had never felt so helpless before. He felt too weak and was in far too much pain to fight back. What was he to do?

A burning feeling, even stronger then the pain he felt already, started to grow in him. It was strongest on his shoulder. His cursed seal was acting up.

Orochimaru smiled at him, looking satisfied, like he wanted the Uchiha boy to react in this manner.

Hinata's scream made this fire in the boy stronger. Despite the pain she was in, she saw black markings start to take over his whole left side.

"Sa…Sasuke-kun!" She gasped out, trying to reach him.

What happened next happened too fast for the girl to keep up. She found herself gasping on the floor, her arms wrapped around her abdominal area. Orochimaru had let go of Sasuke, and he was on the floor as well. The black markings on his skin started to draw back. Hinata crawled as fast as she could next to him. She helped him sit up.

"Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed. He looked surprised. But not because of Hinata.

"Sasuke-kun?" she said unsurely. He didn't reply. She looked up at Orochimaru expecting he had done something. But Orochimaru paid no attention to the Uchiha boy. He was looking past them with a surprised look on his face. What was going on?

She turned her head, and her eyes grew wide.

"What do ya think you're doin', Orochimaru?" A raspy, strong voice called out.

"Naruto…" said Sasuke softly.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata echoed. Her feeling of despair melted into relief.

Orochimaru's shocked expression transitioned into a stern face. But his lips stretched into a smile.

"Naruto-kun, I see you're not dead. How intriguing." He remarked.

"Hmph. It'll take more than a stupid war to kill me." Said Naruto with a voice that showed his anger, and rage. His eyes had an intensity to them. Almost like they were on fire.

"Hah." Sasuke let out a small laugh only Hinata could hear. "Stubborn as always."

The big man ran towards Naruto. His arms stretched out, and were ready to grab him. Naruto readied himself. His hands in position to activate his shadow clone jutsu.

Suddenly, a bomb had exploded behind the big man. He tripped and fell, face flat on the ground. After that, he never got up. Naruto with his hands ready to do his special jutsu had disappeared into a puff of smoke. It was a replication.

The real Naruto walked up behind the big man, and placed his foot victoriously on his head as he folded his arms with pride.

Orochimaru laughed, and clapped his hands, almost like he was entertained. "Well done, Naruto-kun." He said sounding like he was mocking him.

The big man had puffed into smoke, and Naruto almost fell over from surprise. "A replication?" he said in disbelief.

The real big man appeared behind Orochimaru, looking irritated. Sasuke alertly stood up, but in the process, pain shot up from his spine, and he ended up on the floor again. Hinata looked at him in worry. Her hand was placed on his back in an attempt to calm him.

Naruto's gazes fell on him as well. An emotion shot through his body that he could not describe. Was he happy to see Sasuke? Or was he mad that he dared to show his face?

Orochimaru knelt down on one knee, lightly pinched Sasuke's chin, and gently lifted his head up to face him.

"You're strong, Sasuke-kun. But apparently, not strong enough, so you're not worth killing right now. I'll wait, and give you time. I'll wait for the day your anger burns with such intensity that it can be seen, and felt. If I have to, I'll take away anything or anyone that is precious to you." He leaned over closer to whisper in the boy's ear.

"Sooner or later, you will gain so much power that your body will not be able to control it. You will lose yourself and become so drunk that you will not realize what you are doing and end up killing anything that lives, and when that day comes…"

Orochimaru drew back slowly. His eyes locking with Sasuke's in an electric glare. "…that power, which you possess, will be mine." He stood up with a satisfying smile on his face. It sickened Sasuke to the pit of his stomach. He glared at Orochimaru. That was all he could do at that moment.

Orochimaru shot a look at Naruto. The boy flinched, and gritted his teeth.

"That goes for you, too, Naruto-kun." He said with a taunting voice.

A glance from him settled on the worried face of Hinata. "I'll wait." He said again, then finally walked away.

Hinata let out a sigh or relief as Orochimaru and his man disappeared behind the trees. Her guard was up, though. She jumped when Naruto called out, "Oi!" he ran beside Sasuke, and helped him up. Both of Sasuke's arms were around Naruto and Hinata for support. Hinata kept her face down. She was happy to see the bright face of Naruto, but she didn't know how to express that to him. Besides, he looked much to worried about Sasuke, and she knew he'd pay little attention to her at this time.

"You're so stupid, Sasuke. Putting Hinata-san in danger like that, and getting yourself beaten up by your own side." Said Naruto with an irritated voice.

Sasuke smirked despite his situation. "It's nice to see you, too, loser." He said sarcastically. "And I'm not on their side anymore."

"Hmph." Replied Naruto.

Sasuke turned to Hinata. Worry was visible on his face, which surprised the Hyuuga girl. "Are you alright, Hinata?"

She gave an unsure smile, and replied, "Y-yes, I'm fine. I might have broken a rib or two, but I'll live."

Sasuke nodded, and turned his head to face the road in front.

"M-more importantly," Hinata began. "N-Naruto-kun, how about you? Are you feeling alright?"

Naruto looked at her with a puzzled face. He smiled and answered, "Of course I am. Thanks for askin'."

Hinata nodded.

"Okay, let's get going!" exclaimed Naruto. "Ugh. Naruto, don't scream next to my ear, idiot." Complained Sasuke. "Hmph."

The three of them started walking. Well, Sasuke limping, but none the less, they all moved up the road towards the refuge camp.

On the way, Naruto bragged of how 'cool' he was fighting that big man, and saving Hinata and Sasuke. Hinata giggled at times, but Sasuke kept on rolling his eyes, or not responding at all. It was almost as if they were all friends, just taking a stroll in the forest, early in the morning. It was a good cover for now.

Underneath all that pride, Naruto felt an anger towards Sasuke. Things weren't good between them at all. Not after all these years. Especially, not after their last battle. Reality would settle on the three of them when they arrive at camp.

A horrifying sight displayed itself in front of the three. Hinata covered her mouth with her hands. Tears started to pool in her eyes. Naruto's jaw dropped. Sasuke's, too.

"What the hell happened?" asked the Uchiha boy. He let his arms drop from his companions' shoulders, and walked forward.

The refuge camp was like a replica of the Konoha village. There wasn't as much blood, or people, but it was still an unpleasant sight. Most of the tents looked like they were raided by a bear, and some were fortunately still standing. But stains of blood were dashed on them. A few bodies lay limp on the floor. Gashes found all over them.

Hinata ran into the Yellow tent where most of the villagers were held, hoping some of them had survived, despite their crisis. Naruto fell to his knees and started to punch the ground over and over. His fists started fading red.

"That bastard! He played us! DAMMIT!" shouted the yellow-haired boy angrily as he repeatedly inflicted the dirt ground with his fist.

Sasuke ignored his bruises, and walked slowly to the center of the camp. It felt like things were caving in on him. Like the world was falling apart. His heart started to beat at a faster pace. Sweat trickled down the side of his head, which started to throb. And his heart thudded the same beat.

Naruto's voice seemed to drift farther and farther away.

Hinata walked out of the tent, hands still covering her mouth. Tears were streaming down her pale face. Sasuke was the closest, so she slowly walked and stopped beside him.

"They're all dead." She murmured under her breath.

Naruto stood up. Fists clenched at his side.

Someone gasped. Only Hinata and Naruto looked back to see who it was.

The other villagers who went to burry their loved ones from their village had returned. Their faces all white with shocked, and despair.

"What's going on here?" Shouted Tsunade as she stomped in front. Her eyes widened. "Naruto?"

Then, as she turned her head to view the camp, her eyes turned from an expression of shock, to horror. Her face paled, and she felt her jaw drop.

"Not again…" she said with a regretful voice.

Hinata caught a movement from the corner of her eye, and felt a drift pass her.

"Sasuke-kun!" He fell on the dirt ground with a thud. His body was too tired to handle the emotions that stirred inside of him.

"Sasuke!" called out Naruto as he ran towards the Uchiha boy.

Sasuke was still conscious, but his body couldn't seem to move. He suddenly felt weak, and the voices of the people that hovered over him sounded distant. Hinata's face was the last thing he saw before everything blacked out.

Tsunade laid his body where Naruto was when he was unconscious. She frowned not being able to imagine how much pain this boy has gone through until he finally collapsed. Her hand gently brushed a hair off his sweaty forehead.

"Tsunade-baa-chan." Called Naruto from the entrance of the yellow tent.

"Why's he like that?"

Tsunade turned to face the blonde completely. His eyes having the same amount of pain as hers.

"He's been through a lot, Naruto." She replied.

Naruto walked and stood next to her, looking at Sasuke's limp body. His hands clenched into tight fists.

"It's not fair." He said through gritted teeth.

"When I woke up, everyone was fine. They explained to me everything that's happened, and the kids even played with me a bit before I set off."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. She turned away from him and set her gazes on Sasuke. She didn't know what to say.

Naruto continued. "They were just here. Right here!" he exclaimed his last sentence. "Just a few hours ago… and now," a lump seemed to have formed in his throat. He couldn't go on.

Tsunade closed her eyes. Pain was taking over her heart. It felt like acid churned in her stomach. Too much has happened.

"I'm sorry." Was all she could say in reply. Naruto didn't respond. After a moment, he exited the tent with a run. Tsunade didn't watch him leave.

The left-over villagers started another grave site just a few minutes away from their refuge camp. More holes were dug, more bodies buried. Many people complained, and many more had to continue mourning from last night.

Shikamaru looked at the bodies cautiously as they were lowered down to their graves. His eyes narrowed.

"Something doesn't look right." He said.

Shino stood beside him. He studied the bodies as well. "You're right." He replied as he knelt to gather something from the dirt. Shikamaru saw it was a small insect.

Shino nodded as if conversing with the insect. He turned to Shikamaru. "Not all the bodies are injured. Some aren't even bruised at all."

"Yeah, I noticed." Said Kiba as he joined the conversation. He moved slightly to the side to give room to Neji, who was also listening on their conversation.

"You can tell that the injured bodies were in a battle, definitely to save the camp or themselves. But some bodies don't even have a scratch, yet there they lay, dead." Shikamaru stated matter of factly. "What do you think, Neji?" He directed his question at the Hyuuga boy. He looked around, studying each body, and mourning face. Then turned back to his group with agitation clear in his eyes.

"I don't know if it's possible but…" he paused, thinking his theory through before saying it aloud. "…maybe for the uninjured people, their energies were absorbed somehow." His voice showed how unsure he was. It wasn't a realistic theory, but after all that's happened, anything seemed possible.

"By who? The same guy who started the massacre?" Kiba snarled. His hands balled into fists.

"Orochimaru." Said Shino with pure hate. "But Orochimaru takes power by switching bodies," stated Shikamaru. "How would he absorb them?"

"It's probably a new jutsu. It's possible." Replied Neji. "Then that would mean that…" Kiba paused, afraid of his own sentence. "…it would mean that Orochimaru's gotten stronger."

The group was silent for a few minutes. The thought of Orochimaru getting stronger was frightening.

"Wait," Neji broke the silence. "We're not sure if he's really absorbed their energies. It's just a theory."

"What's another possible reason? This seems the most logical." Replied Kiba.

"Maybe a poison?" said Shikamaru unsurely. "I would've caught its scent." Argued Kiba. "And besides, the poison wouldn't affect this many people in one night."

"What would be the point of poisoning these people anyway?" stated Shino coolly. "Orochimaru wouldn't kill unless he got something from it."

"So right now, the only theory possible is he absorbed the people's energy to gain power." Said Neji.

The group of boys pondered. "Hm…" started Kiba. "I guess that's what we'll have to settle with for now. Huh?" He caught a swift movement from the corner of his eye. Something of orange dashed by through the trees, deeper into the woods.

"Naruto?" Shikamaru said it for him. "I heard he's finally woken up." Said Shino. A smirk twitched the corner of the dog-boy's lips. "It's just impossible to kill that guy, isn't it?" he said sounding unsurprised. That changed as he caught the sight of Hinata. She was running after him, the boy she admired. He kept watching as she moved, and stumbled. He was about to run to her side and help her but then he felt a soft pressure on his shoulder that stopped him. Turning his head, he found that it was Shino's hand on his shoulder. The boy of the bugs shook his head in disapproval.

"She's finally out of her cocoon and ready to face the world with the beat of her wings. Just leave her be, Kiba." Preached Shino. Kiba opened his mouth to oppose the bug-boy, but no words came out. He sighed, exasperated and turned back to Hinata. She managed to get back on her feet and run – well more like waddle – after Naruto. He sighed again and shook his head.

As he watched her off, an unfamiliar feeling seemed to have washed over his body. The look of Hinata's worried face made him want to comfort her. He yearned to be there for her. Not wanting anymore unfamiliar emotions to rise, he looked away and got back to discussing with his group.

Hinata was unsure what to do. Her cheeks were wet with new tears, and they blurred her vision. Her pace slowed as she thought things through. Twigs broke under her feet as she walked. She looked down, her heart feeling heavy. Comfort, she needed comfort. Naruto was her only option right now. She needed him more then ever. It was unusual for her to feel such yearning because of her timid nature. She raised a hand to her mouth. Through her silent walk, she heard the soothing sound of running water. The river was close by. Aside from the river, she also heard thumping noises, and cussing.

"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" It was Naruto, punching the ground in anger.

Hinata slowed her pace even more, fear overcoming her heavy heart. She spotted him, and hid behind a tree.

"GAH!" exclaimed Naruto. Hinata jumped as she heard a huge splash of water. She looked to see what had happened. Her eyes grew wide to see that the boulder of which she had sat on was not there. In its place was a huge, dark spot of dirt, and Naruto was standing in it, panting.

Oh, how she longed to have her arms wrapped around him. To just take his pain away, not caring about her own problems. In her mind, that seemed possible, but as reality settled on her, she just couldn't muster up enough courage. She sat down, her back sliding against the bark of the tree.

"DAMMIT!" roared Naruto again. Hinata flinched. What could she do? Nothing seemed to be helpful at this point. Her mind scrambled. What would calm him? What could she say? She hugged her knees against her chest.

"What the hell do you want!?" Hinata gasped thinking the question was directed at her. It wasn't.

"My friends, my family, my neighbors… You took them all away, you bastard!" Naruto began to rant. But in a quieter voice now. "I couldn't save any of them, even though I was just there."

Hinata turned her head and walked from behind the tree surprised. Naruto's head was down. His shoulders were relaxed but his hands still clenched into fists.

"Naruto-kun." Said Hinata quietly, as she wiped her wet cheeks with her sleeve. She took a step forward and gasped as a twig snapped. The boy straightened up and looked back. His eyes were alarmed.

Hinata gasped again when she saw them. Red. They were red, with slits for pupils. Slowly, they faded back to blue as Naruto calmed down. His expression softened.

"Oh, Hinata-san, it's you."

"I-I'm sorry, Naruto-kun." She managed to say. "Was I interrupting you?" Her voice was hesitant as usual. Naruto looked at the river for a moment before he answered. He looked at the Hyuuga girl and smiled. "Nah, I think I'm done." Hinata managed a smile. But it quickly faded. She looked away, her face slightly a shade of red.

"Ah, Hinata-san, what's wrong?" Asked Naruto with a bit of worry in his voice.

"You don't remember… I thought you were dying, and…" She trailed off, embarrassed to continue her sentence. She started fiddling with her fingers.

Naruto scratched his head, puzzled. "I was dying, and what?" he asked.

"I was with you…"

"You were?"

At that, Hinata felt like her heart was pierced by a needle. She looked down, her face still a slight shade of red. Her bangs covered her sad eyes.

"Never mind." She said with a softer voice then usual.

Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "You're acting weird, Hinata-san."

She didn't reply. Instead she turned and started walking away. "It's nothing." She said, trying to hide the pain in her voice. She kept on walking, but at a slow pace. The sound of the running water faded in the background.

"Hinata-san." Called Naruto. She stopped in her tracks. Her blood started to rush, as did the beating of her heart, just to the boy calling her name.

She turned to look at him, though she was afraid to meet his gaze. Surprise hit her as she saw the look on his face. It was serious, but somehow soft, and showed a sense of yearning. "You asked me not to leave you, didn't you?" his voice wasn't the usual hyper voice she was used to. It was gentler.

Hinata's face seemed to have grown warmer. She looked down in approval.

"I see." Naruto started to walk towards her. She took a slight step back, unsure of what to do. He wasn't sure what to do either. Hesitantly, he leaned over, his lips almost touching the timid girl's ear. "Thank you." He said. She held back a gasp of surprise from the feeling of his breath on her. Her whole body was warm this time. It affected her knees, and they started to shake slightly. Standing was becoming a chore.

Naruto leaned back smiling as if he didn't know what he had just done to her. She stared at him with surprised, silver eyes. After a few moments of silent gazing, her knees gave up on her and she staggered forward. Her head felt like it was spinning as well.

"Whoa!" Naruto caught her. He placed a hand on her forehead. "Wow, Hinata-san, you're really warm." All Hinata could manage was a slight nod. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against his chest. His heart was steady. Her eyes opened again as she felt the sensation of being carried. She gasped in surprise. Naruto looked at her with a puzzled face.

"It's okay, I'll carry you to Tsunade-baa-chan. I think you might have a fever."

Hinata could feel his hand supporting her back and legs, suspending her from the ground. She wasn't used to being carried like this. She felt so weightless, and embarrassed. Her head spun as Naruto began to walk. She had to lean it against his shoulder. Her heart beat rapidly. She was sure that even the boy that carried her could hear it.

Sasuke was still unconscious on the bed of blankets. He was breathing evenly, but from the look on his face, it looked like he was having a nightmare. Tsunade watched over him in worry. She was surprised to hear someone come in from the tent entrance, and even more surprised to see that it was Naruto with Hinata in his arms. She would've smiled if she wasn't feeling so upset. The woman walked towards the couple.

"What's the matter?" she asked, her voice almost demanding. "I think Hinata-san might have a fever." Answered Naruto with his usual raspy voice. Hinata looked up at the blonde woman. Her eyes looked amused. Hinata looked away embarrassed. "Just carry her over here." She instructed Naruto. He gently placed her on a blanket on the floor. It was near Sasuke's bed. Hinata watched as the expression on Naruto's face changed. It became serious. "When will Sasuke be up?" he asked in a low raspy voice.

Tsunade looked at him with the same expression on her face. "Most likely, he'll wake up tonight." She started walking towards the exit of the tent. "You can talk to him at that time. Now, I need to go check on the others." She slipped out, and the tent was silent.

Hinata sat up, and looked around. Her face turned sad, and she could feel the tears about to come up again. This tent was full last time she was here. Just yesterday, actually. And now, it was completely empty. Aside from the presence of Naruto, Sasuke, and herself, it was completely deserted. Empty blankets were laid on the floor where injured villagers used to lay. It was heart-breaking.

Her knees still felt unstable, so she didn't bother to stand up. Instead, she rested her back against the blanket, and closed her eyes.

"Hinata-san?" said Naruto. Hinata quickly opened her eyes and sat up, alerted. "Y-yes, Naruto-kun?" She looked at him with her silver eyes. Her pale cheeks reddening.

"Will you be okay here?" he asked as he sat himself down, cross-legged, across from her.

"Y-yeah. I'll be fine." Hinata said with her usual hesitant, soft voice. She smiled embarrassedly.

"Okay." Replied Naruto. He grinned his toothy grin. To Hinata's surprise it quickly disappeared, and his face was serious again. Her face grew redder.

Gently, Naruto placed a hand on her cheek. Her heart raced.

"Na…Naruto-kun?" she said unsurely. Her voice was shaky. Slowly he leaned his face closer to hers. Hinata's breathing seemed to have stopped, and her heart beat hard against her chest. She felt her face burn. Her hands clutched tightly onto the blanket she was on.

Instinctively, she closed her eyes, waiting for what would happen next.

She tried not to shudder as Naruto caressed from her cheek to her forehead, lifting her bangs from it so it was bare. It took her a while to realize what he was doing.

She opened her eyes just as Naruto leaned in close enough so his forehead was touching her own. She closed her eyes almost immediately to help her suppress a gasp. Her eyes were shut tighter this time.

"You're warmer then when we came in, Hinata-san." He said finally. Then leaned back to his normal position. "And your face is redder then usual. You should definitely rest. Try sleeping." He stood up.

"Ah … okay." Said a shaky Hinata. She felt sweat starting to bead on her temple. _He still doesn't get it, _she thought.

With that, she rested her back against the blanket again. Naruto nodded, and gave one last glance at Sasuke, then walked away.

As soon as Naruto was out of the tent, the timid girl let out a big sigh of relief. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down, and rested her hand on her forehead, where Naruto's was. "How embarrassing…" She murmured to herself. "And I thought he was going to…" her face burned up again before she could say anymore. She shut her eyes tighter and curled herself up into a ball. She could still feel her heart thumping, harder and faster then it usually does.

After a while, she finally calmed down, and the tent was silent. She could hear the other villagers outside, complaining, mourning, walking back and forth, shouting statements or commands. She slowly opened her eyes.

In the process, she felt sadness overcome her heart again. She placed a hand on her chest. Her eyes felt like they would release tears again.

She turned, so she was facing Sasuke's side. After a brief look at his still body, she closed her eyes. A little rest wouldn't hurt. She'd wake up in mid-afternoon, or earlier. By then, she should feel much better.

"Power. You must gain power. You need to get stronger." These words echoed through the Uchiha boy's head. "You're too weak." It was his own voice telling this to him. "You're not strong enough."

Sasuke seemed to be standing in the middle of an abyss. There was no floor. Just waves of grayish lines all around him. It frightened him.

"You must be drunk with power. You must get stronger to kill Orochimaru and Itachi."

"No!" shouted Sasuke. "I've done enough. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore." He tightly covered his ears with his hands and closed his eyes.

"The others don't matter. Nothing matters. Especially if you are weak." Taunted his own voice.

"Stop it! That's not true!"

"The villagers hate you. Your best friend despises you. There was no point of you coming back to this village."

"No! That's not …" Sasuke trailed off, unsure of what to say. This voice was right. There was no point of him coming back…

"There's no point of being alive either. Especially if you are weak." Echoed the voice.

"Stop saying that." Said Sasuke weakly.

"You're not worth killing right now." It was Orochimaru's voice this time. Sasuke gasped and removed his hands from his ears. His eyes were wild.

"I'll wait for the day your anger burns with such intensity, that it can be seen."

"Shut up!" the boy shouted. He violently looked around him, trying to find the source of this voice.

"You will gain so much power that your body will not be able to control it."

"You're lying!" he exclaimed. "I'm in control of myself. I can control my power." He swiftly turned his head to his right, then to his left. More wavy gray lines.

"When that day comes,"

Sasuke was sure where this voice was coming from this time. He turned quickly to look behind him and gasped. It was himself in his demon form. The form that is made by his cursed seal. It looked just as shocked as him. Then it smirked, and slowly, it faded into Orochimaru's image.

"When that day comes," he repeated. "That power which you possess," the man reached a hand out in an attempt to grab the boy. Sasuke stepped back.

"will be mine." He finished. His lips stretched into a wide smile, and his eyes grew bigger. Sasuke fell back in fear. What he saw now was not Orochimaru. It was a giant snake. Its mouth wide open, ready to swallow the Uchiha boy. Its tongue waved around violently as it hissed.

Sasuke couldn't move. He stayed there on the floor, petrified. Before he could scream, the snake plunged forward with an open mouth, then everything went black. He felt numb again. His lungs seemed to have failed him, but he wasn't gasping. Darkness. That's all he could see. Nothing but darkness.

After a while, he realized that he was falling. No, not falling. His body felt much too light. He was gently drifting down. There was no floor. He'd be drifting down forever. His lids fell over his eyes, waiting.

"Sasuke-kun?" a soft voice echoed through his trance.

"Sasuke-kun?" it said again. This voice sounded familiar. He couldn't say who it was. It definitely wasn't Sakura. This voice was much softer.

"Sasuke-kun…" It called again. Sasuke didn't want to open his eyes, but felt like he had too. His lids felt heavy.

At first, everything was black. Then came the voice again, "Sasuke-kun?" The darkness seemed to have subsided a bit. Light was streaming in slowly.

"I'm here." Said Sasuke weakly. "I'm right here." He attempted to raise a heavy arm up, as if something would grab his hand and pull him out of this abyss. "Call my name again." He pleaded. "Please…" This voice sounded like that of an angel.

"Sasuke-kun, are you alright?" This time with the voice came an image made from the streaming light, above the drifting Uchiha boy. After a few moments, the image became clear.

Hinata was hovering over him, glowing. Her long, dark hair waved behind her, as if she was drifting with him, too. Her face never looked so heavenly.

"Hinata…" he said weakly. He dropped his raised hand, and kept on looking at her angelic image.

"Wake up, Sasuke-kun. Wake up." The girl pleaded. She sounded worried.

"Wake up?" said Sasuke puzzled. He didn't feel like he was sleeping.

"Sasuke-kun, please, wake up." Pleaded Hinata again.

_Follow her voice, _thought the boy. _Follow it._

As if he was in water, Sasuke straightened himself up and began kicking with his feet in an attempt to swim to this celestial maiden. A hand from her was stretched out, seemingly to reach him. He stretched out his hand as well, and kept on kicking. He was desperate now, to get out of this darkness, to be able to breathe.

Finally, he clutched onto Hinata's hand, and felt a tug into reality. Everything around him quickly faded to white.

The ceiling was yellow. Sasuke blinked a few times before he looked around some more. He turned his head to his side, and sure enough, Hinata was standing next to him, worry clear on her face. He switched his gazes to the ceiling. "What time is it?" He asked. The timid girl's face formed into a puzzled expression. "I-it's about 6 pm." She stammered.

"Oh." Replied Sasuke. Without thinking, he tried to sit himself up. As a result, an aching pain shot through his body. He fell back with a slump.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, you shouldn't do that." Hinata said frantically. "Don't move. I'll go get Tsunade-sama." She turned around, towards the exit. A tug at her wrist stopped her. Slowly, she turned her head to see a pale arm stretched out towards her. Her eyes met his, and as usual, he had an unreadable expression on his face. He let go of her and looked away.

"Don't leave." He said softly, but unsurely.

Hinata's eyes widened in surprise. Hesitantly, she nodded and sat down on the blanket she had slept on.

Sasuke turned so that he wasn't facing Hinata at all. _Why'd I do that?_, he thought. Lately, Sasuke has noticed that the heavy feelings in his heart were relieved slightly around this girl. He had grabbed her wrist on impulse, without thinking, as if not wanting to be away from her.

"Sorry." He managed to say. "But … I need you to stay with me."

Hinata could feel her face grow warm. "N-no, it's fine."

Sasuke hadn't realized what he'd just said. The thought of Hinata misinterpreting it didn't cross his mind.

He couldn't figure out what was so special about this girl. She made him feel unfamiliar emotions. Sometimes she made him feel powerful. A new thought dawned on him. Is she the source of his strength? Will she be the one to help him gain power? He shook his head. That's ludicrous. She's just a girl. A weak, timid girl. There was nothing special about her. At least not her appearance. _But she's a Hyuuga. _He thought again. _One of the strongest clans in Konoha. _And she's survived this far. Maybe there's more to her then it seems. He sighed. Right now, she's his comfort. The only medicine that would make him feel better. And right now, he wanted her to stay with him.

"I had a dream..." said Hinata, interrupting the awkward atmosphere. Sasuke looked at her. "It wasn't a nightmare, but it was … scary." She continued. Her eyes looking at nothing in particular.

_Couldn't be any scarier then mine_, thought the Uchiha boy.

Hinata continued, "Everything was hazy. Green… like the fireflies from last night." She hugged her knees. "I saw… Naruto. But his eyes weren't the same. They looked like… a fox's." At this, Sasuke looked at the girl. Suddenly he was now interested in her story.

"I thought he was glaring at me, but he wasn't." she continued. "I turned around, and I saw the silhouette of a person. Their eyes were glowing red, and their long hair swayed in the breeze. After a little while, I realized it was you." This tugged the boy's interest even more.

"I thought you said this wasn't a nightmare." He said.

"Th-that was just the first part." She stuttered, looking at Sasuke with a rosy face. He couldn't help but feel like another ton was taken off his heart.

Hinata continued, "I was looking at you in my dream, and I was scared. You and Naruto were fighting it seems. I watched helplessly as he charged at you, and you charged at him. The setting was rocky. Dust flew everywhere as you both glided on air. Before you made contact with each other, the scene just changed into a brighter scene. It wasn't as green, but it still was…

"I felt a wind pass me. But I felt warm. I could see my hair flow in all directions, and I realized I was in mid-air."

She looked down.

"It was like I was being pulled up by a force." Saying that, she looked up slowly, and zoned out again. "After that, the scene simultaneously switched and I saw…" she fiddled with her fingers, trying to find the next word. "A jade stone."

Sasuke felt something from that sentence.

"It glowed the warmest green," continued Hinata. "And it was just so… beautiful. It made me feel pleasant, just looking at it. Like problems did not exist."

"I tried to reach for it, like this," she made a motion with her hands like cupping water in the air. "But then…" her hands curled into light fists. "…it was gone, and I woke up."

Sasuke tried to sit up. Flinching, he said, "Tell that to Tsunade. It doesn't sound like a normal dream." He finally sat up, pain still clear in his eyes.

"Sasuke-kun!" exclaimed Hinata as she suddenly stood in alert. "You shouldn't get up, I told you—"  
"Tell Tsunade!" he interrupted. Hinata fell silent. "I'll be fine."

She wanted to say something but couldn't think of what. Feeling discouraged, she looked down. "Was that all you dreamt about?" asked Sasuke after a brief moment of silence.

The Hyuuga girl abruptly looked up. She nodded unsurely. "It s-seems short, but when I woke up, hours had passed."

"I see." replied the Uchiha boy. As swiftly as he could, he slid off the bed of blankets, trying to ignore how sore his body was.

"Sasuke-kun!" exclaimed Hinata with an alert tone. She ran to his side, and pressed a hand against his chest and back to support him. Even with Hinata holding him up, he still didn't look very stable. He staggered, trying to walk.

"This is nothing. Go tell Tsunade your dream." He took another awkward step.

Hinata acted as Sasuke's lean-on in their search for the woman, Tsunade. Usually, Sasuke would have felt uneasy with someone helping him, keeping his body from falling. But this time, for some reason, he felt comfortable with this girl walking with him. He was getting used to her company.

Tsunade was at what looked like a new grave sight dug up by the left-over Konoha villagers. Her face glistened with sweat, and patches of dirt were visible all over her body. She watched as the timid Hyuuga girl led the ever-so-great Uchiha boy, his arm around her shoulders for support. It was quite an interesting sight. She couldn't help but look surprised.

"I see Sasuke's woken up already." She said in her usual loud voice. "Um…" Hinata began. Tsunade looked down at her.  
"What is it?" she asked. The timid girl kept her eyes on the floor. "I… that is… Um—"  
"She has something to tell you. A dream she's had." Sasuke interrupted impatiently. Hinata nodded hesitantly in agreement. "Oh?"

With her usual nature, Hinata told Tsunade the images that came to her through a dream. "Can you interpret it?" asked Sasuke. He sat coolly on a rock, not looking at all like he has a sore body. Tsunade tapped her chin, and looked up into space. She noticed that the sky was getting darker. Evening was coming sooner than expected.

After a while of pondering, she replied, "I have a few theories. I've never interpreted dreams before."

"Anything is fine. I know that what Hinata had had was more then just a silly dream." said Sasuke.

Tsunade looked at him with a now serious expression. "Sasuke," she began in a deep, serious tone. "I'm not sure, but some kind of powerful energy, maybe chakra, will find its way to you. It'll turn you into a form, like your cursed seal is in full power."

"Cursed seal?" murmured Hinata to herself softly enough that no one heard her.

Tsunade continued, "Naruto will activate his red chakra, and he will be trying to stop you. Possibly slowing you down from… I don't know what exactly… Maybe from destroying all that is around you. Maybe from letting this overwhelming power take over your body."

Sasuke looked at Tsunade with concentrated eyes.

"Or maybe he's just trying to kill you before you kill everything else."

At this, the boy felt a gripping at his heart. He had agitated lines all over his face.

"As for this green stone, I'm guessing it's meant to calm you down, judging from its description. Or perhaps it is the power you all seek." continued the woman with a steady voice. "The very power that will cause you to go berserk." Her eyes narrowed as she said this.

"B-but…" Hinata stuttered lightly. Her voice was almost too soft to hear. "The feelings I got from it… it can't be dangerous—"

"Hinata," Tsunade cut her off. "My other theory is that only you are able to locate this stone." The woman turned her head to face the timid girl completely. "You were the one who dreamt of it, you are probably the only one who can navigate it. I've never heard of such a description from just looking at a gem."

Hinata's eyes widened in surprise. She touched her lips with a crooked finger for comfort, as she had done in her first battle with her cousin, Neji.

Tsunade let out a soft sigh. In her eyes, Sasuke could tell that she was making a painful decision. Regret was making itself clear on her as well.

"Sasuke, Hinata," said the fifth Hokage with a softer voice then usual. "Both of you, you are our only hope for this village to ever thrive again."

Hinata looked at the woman in confusion. Sasuke's hands tensed in his pockets.

"I want you to find that gem, that stone that makes all things pleasant, Hinata."

The timid girl widened her eyes in shock this time. Tsunade turned to Sasuke. "You. I want you, with a loyal heart, to absorb the power from this stone." This time, it was Sasuke's eyes that were surprised.

"I think that if you set aside your feelings of rage, and greed for power, then you will be able to control what this stone holds for you. If things start to get troublesome because of your own feelings, Naruto will be there to help with that."

Naruto… Sasuke had almost forgotten about him. He bent his head to look at the floor. "And if I gain this unknown power, am I to use against Orochimaru and his minions?" he asked with a low, deep voice.

"Yes." Replied Tsunade bluntly. "It'll be risky, but whatever opportunity presents itself, we must take hold of it." Her voice was louder this time. She stretched and stood up, her back facing the young pair.

"Right now, you both are tired. Naruto has just woken up. I can't have you all leaving right away in your current conditions."

She looked back with determined eyes, and continued, "I'll give you all a week to rest. In that time, you can decide whether you want to do this, and you may pack as much as you can carry. After the week is done, you may leave." After those words, she started walking towards the camp.

"Wait, Tsunade-sama!" called Hinata. Tsunade stopped in her tracks. "Why don't you come with us?" she asked with a shaky voice.

The fifth Hokage looked back with caring eyes. "The villagers need someone to protect them now. And I won't fail them this time." A slight smirk stretched her lips. Then she turned away and continued walking, leaving Hinata and Sasuke standing alone with unexplainable feelings,, and silence.

In a little while, Naruto appeared to them, and so did the other boys of Konoha.


	3. Chapter 3

**SasuHina Fanfic**

Sorry for the long pause, my readers. School has been tight… but every chance I got, I added on! Again, I should remind you that I'm not a big fan of this couple, but I love writing about them. Enjoy the read, and thanks for your time!

**The day they set out**

"You are our only hope for this village to ever thrive again."

Those words and more would not leave the boy's thoughts. He packed his things quietly in a knapsack given to him by Tsunade, the fifth Hokage.

_It's the least I can do for this village_, thought Sasuke.

He didn't turn around to see who walked toward him when he heard steps on the dirt. It was early in the morning. No one would or should be awake.

"Are you ready for the journey, Sasuke?" Asked a woman with a deep voice.

"Ready or not, I have to do this." Replied the boy. "It's the least I can do…" he trailed off. Tsunade put a hand on his shoulder. "I told you, it's not your fault." She said softly. Sasuke closed his eyes and shook his head in disagreement. After that, it was silent. The fifth Hokage kept her hand on his tense shoulder. She could feel he was anything but relaxed. "Sasuke," she began after a moment. He didn't respond. "You're still sore, aren't you?"

"It doesn't matter. This pain is nothing." The boy said this in such a convincing tone, he sounded angry. Tsunade held back a smirk at his stubbornness.

"Stop what you're doing for a moment." She commanded. Sasuke paused before placing a brown packet of dried food in his knapsack. He turned his whole body in the woman's direction, and looked her with an expressionless face. With a smooth motion, Tsunade wrapped her arms around the Uchiha boy, who was now about her height. She dug her chin into his shoulder. Sasuke flinched in slight pain and surprise. "Tsunade, what—"

"You're still sore." She interrupted. "This will make you feel better…" It was silent before Sasuke felt comforting warmth overcome his body. He saw a faint glow of green surround him, and closed his eyes to take it all in. It felt like his mother was holding him… and so he wasn't in a rush to get out of Tsunade's hold.

In minutes, the blonde woman released him, and looked at the boy with a slight smile. "Are you still sore?"

Sasuke circled his shoulder as if warming up for a race. "You used a healing jutsu on me." Tsunade nodded. "Well, my job here is done." She patted his back. "I'm gonna go check on the others, and you can go on packing. I'll see you later." She took a step then paused and looked back. "By the way, your outfit brings back some memories." She stated. Then, with her usual bright smile, walked away into the direction of a small, orange tent. Hinata and her team must be sleeping there, he thought before he zipped up, and locked his knapsack. He took a good look at what he was wearing before fitting the bag onto his back. It was a taller version of the suit he wore during his chuunin exam. He remembered that his fight was against Gaara, and it never got finished because of some problems around the village. He smirked, then walked towards the gentle sounding river.

The orange tent where Shino's team slept was a head shorter then Tsunade. She could hear team eight shuffling as they packed the things they needed for their upcoming journey.

From the entrance of the tent, she heard a zipping sound. A head poked out from the entrance, and smiled timidly. "W-we're done packing, Tsunade-sama." Stuttered Hinata. The fifth Hokage turned to her and returned a gentle smile. She watched as the team slipped out of the orange tent, one by one. They stood casually next to each other. Kiba rubbed the back of his head as he eyed the tent with an irritated expression on his face. "I guess I gotta wrap up this tent, too."

Hinata smiled at him in amusement, then looked at Tsunade. Shino nodded at the dog-boy. "Alright, we'll meet you at the river, where that big boulder is." He said, then turned and started to walk. Hinata seemed to have squeaked, and her face flushed in slight pink. _The boulder's not there anymore, _she thought as she followed after him.

Tsunade eyed all three of them. Nostalgia slowly came over her. They were so grown up… maybe not much has changed about their personalities, but they were much stronger. Maybe wiser, too. And not to mention, their new looks.

Hinata used to have the hairstyle a boy would have. Her jacket was baggy, and only one color. Now, although her clothes are still equally baggy, they contrasted and suited her very well. Her arm sleeves were a lighter color then what covered her body from her chest to her hips. It was quite stylish. And her hair was gorgeously long. It was what made her different from her childhood. It showed her maturity. Also, since it was given to her, she still wore her Konoha headband around her neck.

Shino had always been cool-looking. With his shades over his eyes, and spiky, brown hair. And the collar that covered his mouth. The Konoha headband worn where it should be, over his forehead. But that was him then. Now, Shino had more things covering his face. A green hood from his baggy jacket over his head, a different collar from a black shirt over his mouth, and shades with thicker frames over his eyes. He looked even more mysterious then he did years ago.

Kiba, who was fumbling with the tent, was probably the only one who almost completely changed his style. His clothes this time were more loose. An open dark shirt revealed tight fishnets underneath, exposing his abdominal area. You could tell he was in very good shape. It's a wonder how he doesn't have a girlfriend yet. His pants were dark as well, matching the color of his shirt. And his Konoha headband covered his forehead.

Tsunade sighed. Oh how grown up these children had become. She could almost cry.

Her eyes widened as a thought came into her head. "Hinata," she called out.

The timid girl stopped, and looked back at the fifth Hokage walking towards her.

Tsunade stopped in front of her. Her face was expressionless but Hinata could sense some doubt, and worry. This green gem might not even exist, yet these adolescents were sent out to look for it. The theory was only Hinata could sense it, but what if she couldn't? What if there was no green stone?

The woman placed a firm hand on Hinata's shoulder. She looked at her with eyes impossible to break from. "Be careful, Hinata."

After a pause, Hinata nodded. Her face was more determined this time. "I'll do my best." She said.

Tsunade smiled. "Glad to hear."

Kiba had finished packing the tent and was now walking towards his group.

"Tsunade-sama, when we all meet, do we go back here?" he asked in an almost complaining voice.

Tsunade looked at him amused. "No, I'll meet you all by the boulder after I find Naruto."

"Okay." Replied Kiba. With that, team eight proceeded towards the river.

Tsunade looked back at the camp. She rubbed the back of her head and sighed.

"Where is Naruto anyway?"

Sasuke paused as he saw a large, dark spot of dirt where the boulder used to be. "I don't know how that happened either," said Neji, interrupting Sasuke's thoughts. He was leaned against a tree. "I think Naruto threw the boulder into the river yesterday." Saying that, he proceeded into staring at the gentle river.

Sasuke sighed, shook his head, then went towards a smaller boulder, next to the dark spot of dirt. He placed his knapsack down, and sat. Without looking at the Hyuuga boy, he asked, "Where's Naruto?"

Neji didn't respond until Sasuke looked at him. The Hyuuga looked up at a thick branch. There seemed to be a body on it. An arm looked like it was dangling down.

_He's sleeping, _thought Sasuke, looking annoyed. On impulse he grabbed a small rock, and made a motion to throw it at the body.

_PUTT!_

But someone did it before him.

"Wake up, lazy-ass! Tsunade-sama's lookin' for ya!" called Kiba, as he walked towards the river. He paused when he spotted Sasuke, and glared. Sasuke glared back.

Hinata looked at her team mate, then the Uchiha boy. She looked apologetic.

"W-what…? Oh—AH!!!—"

_**THUD!**_

Naruto had fallen between team eight and Sasuke. Hinata perked up in that instant. "N-naruto-kun! Are you okay?" she ran to his side, and helped him up.

"Don't bother helping him Hinata. He'll be alright." Said Shino.

"Shino, you threw that rock didn't you!?" shouted Naruto. His voice echoed into the morning air.

"Naruto, if you keep shouting like that, you'll wake up the village."

The yellow-haired boy turned to see who stated that fact to him. His facial expression dropped when he saw who it was. "Sasuke." The Uchiha was standing, one hand rested on his hip. Naruto slipped out of Hinata's hold. No other words escaped his mouth.

"What would you care about this village, Sasuke?" spat Kiba angrily. Sasuke shot him a look with his dark eyes. But he didn't say anything.

"Kiba, calm down." Said Shino coolly. "Remember, he wasn't there—"

"Exactly!" interrupted the dog boy. "He could've helped. He's one of the strongest ninjas I know!" Kiba took a step forward. "You didn't show up then," his voice was quieter this time. "You shouldn't have shown up at all."

The words hit Sasuke like a bullet in the chest. He gritted his teeth, and looked away. Neji eyed him, studying his reaction. _Why isn't he doing anything about what Kiba said?_ He thought.

Naruto was quiet. All he could do was stare at his former best friend.

"Screw this!" exclaimed Kiba. "I'm not traveling with that bastard." He turned, but Shino didn't move. "Get outta my way, Shino." He commanded. Shino stayed still. "No." he replied.

"This has nothing to do with you."

"It has a lot to do with me, as team captain."

Hinata looked at them both helplessly. "Kiba-kun, please—" a raise of Shino's hand interrupted her. She looked down, discouraged.

"You're not my captain anymore."

Shino said nothing.

"We're not a team anymore."

Shino didn't reply.

"Move." Commanded Kiba more angrily. He gritted his teeth, fighting back the urge to punch his team captain.

Shino kept his eyes on the dog boy's. They glared at each other for a long moment, until Shino moved aside. Hinata gasped, and Naruto looked back surprised. Neji, was quiet, but his eyes were wide with shock as well.

"Hmph." Kiba took two steps forward, then stopped. It looked like he was shuddering. Fighting to move. "Kiba?" said Shino in a concerned tone.

"I… I can't move." Said the dog-boy. Everyone tensed up, except for Neji and Naruto.

"You can't just leave Kiba, especially when our journey hasn't begun yet." Said a voice in the shadows of the trees.

"Shikamaru!" called Kiba through strained lips. "Let me go."

Shikamaru stepped out from behind the tree Neji leaned on. His hands were in jutsu position. A dark shadow stretched from his feet to Kiba's.

"A lot of people died, and it could happen again." He said as he walked towards the dog boy.

"This is probably our only chance to save them. To make our village thrive again. And you're just gonna walk out, because you don't wanna work with one guy."

Kiba didn't reply. Shikamaru continued.

"The one guy who wasn't there, the one guy who probably feels more pain then you. You've lost your family, you've lost Akamaru, but Sasuke lost all trust."

Everyone stared in awe at Shikamaru as he spoke. It was very rare for him to say so much.

"Look, I'm not too keen on this whole thing either, but Tsunade needs us. She trusted all of us on this journey. None of us can back down. We couldn't do anything then, when the massacre happened. So we should risk our lives to do something now. Our village needs us."

Kiba seemed to have stopped struggling.

Shikamaru didn't say anymore. He let his shadow stretch back to its original shape, and let Kiba free. The dog-boy didn't look at his group. He simply walked past Shikamaru, and leaned on a tree next to Neji's. Everyone stared at him as he did so. His head was bowed, causing a shadow to cover his eyes.

Hinata looked at Shino and Kiba with a worried face. She watched as Shino walked and stopped beside Sasuke, staring at the river. Sasuke caught her glance, and held her stare for a moment. She looked away, slightly embarrassed, and went to stand with Kiba. The Uchiha watched her as she did so, and caught Naruto's glance. Naruto continued to stare at him with confused eyes. Was he glad? Was he angry like the others? They held each other's eyes for moments, not knowing what to do. Shikamaru studied them both as he stood beside Neji. "It's gonna be troublesome for them." He said quietly so only the boy next to him could hear. Neji nodded.

"I see you're all getting along well." Beamed Tsunade as she walked towards the group. They looked up at her in surprise. None of them heard her approach until she spoke.

"There you are, Naruto. I was looking for you."

Naruto looked her confused. "You were?"

Tsunade had a determined smile on her face, but it faded and left her with determined eyes. They seemed to glow under the sunlight of the morning.

She took something out of her side pocket. A scroll.

"This is a map. I've marked the places where you all should go. First to last."

She threw the scroll at Naruto, who caught it easily.

"You all must protect each other in this journey." She continued. Her eyes scanned each person, then settled on Hinata. "Especially Hinata. I have a theory that only she can sense the gem's presence." Everyone nodded.

"The gem must be given to Sasuke, if not Sasuke, then Naruto." It looked like Kiba was about to object, but Shino looked at him and shook his head in disapproval. The dog-boy stayed silent.

"Any questions?" asked Tsunade. "Yeah. I have one." Everyone looked at Naruto.

"Why give the gem to me, or Sasuke? Or why not just me?"

Tsunade looked at him with a slightly irritated expression. "That's two questions, and I need you or Sasuke to absorb the power of the gem. Only both of you are strong enough to handle that. In this journey, you never know who might live, or die."

Hinata gulped. She was scared, but excited.

Naruto nodded. "Okay, I get it."

Tsunade nodded back. "Alright, the first place you all have to go to is the Hidden Village of Mist. Just follow this river," Tsunade traced the flow of the river with her finger. "And you'll reach the sea. You should be able to see land on the other side. That'll be an island that is not owned by any village. Beyond that is the Hidden Village of Mist. There are row boats at the beach area. That's how you get across."

The group looked at Tsunade with the utmost attention.

"The rest is on the map. The whole of Konoha is counting on you. Let your journey begin."

And with that, they all leapt onto the tree branches and were off.

It was night by the time they all got to sailing. The boat was a row boat. It wasn't very big, but some how it managed to contain all seven of Konoha's to-be saviors. Hinata seemed to shiver as she looked around her. It was very dark. The stars seem blocked by thick mist. Aside from the sounds of four boys rowing, and water moving, it was unnaturally quiet. And the water, it was still. She sat at the centre of the row boat. The boys of Konoha surrounded her. She shouldn't feel scared, but it seemed impossible to feel comfort in such an eerie place.

"Hinata," called a voice quietly to her. Hinata turned to its direction. "S-Sasuke-kun." He sat behind her to her right side.

"Are you okay?" It was unusual for Sasuke to feel concern. But he didn't question it. He gave in.

The timid girl nodded. Then turned again to face the front, the bow, where Shino was sitting in watch. _How can he see anything with those shades, especially in this dark?_ She wondered.

Behind her to her left side was Naruto. She could hear him grunting as he pushed the paddle against the water.

"Neji, do you see any island yet? This is getting annoying." Complained Naruto. Hinata almost jumped to the sound of his loud voice.

Neji stood at the stern, which was the back of the boat. His Byakuugan was activated, so seeing through this darkness and mist was not a problem for him.

Hinata turned to look at him. His face was so concentrated. She noticed his eyes narrow. Then after a moment, they widened. He saw something.

Seeing that, she turned to face the front and activated her own Byakuugan. Everything seemed clearer. Accurately, she could tell how far the island was if she wanted to. At first, nothing seemed unusual aside from still waters. But after a short while, a mound of shadow seemed to appear. And she could hear some kind of shushing. Like a wave…. A wave! Hinata sharpened her Byakuugan to take a better look at this mound. It was coming towards their row boat quickly. Like it was rolling in.

"Everyone, get ready! There's a huge wave coming this way." Commanded Neji.

Hinata gasped.

Everyone dropped what they were doing and stood at their spots in the boat. Neji at the back was already in his usual battle stance. Shino at the front, readying his insects, already crawling on his wrists. Naruto and Sasuke were behind Hinata, standing ready. Their guards way up. Kiba and Shikamaru stood in front, but behind Shino. Also in their battle stances.

Not wanting to be a burden, Hinata stood as well, and readied herself. Her eyes were burning with determination. This wasn't an ordinary wave.

It came rolling in fast. Then suddenly, when it seemed like it was about to fall on the boat, it stopped. All seven adolescents looked up in surprise. A figure stood casually on the wave's tip. Time seemed to have stopped. Mist was thick in the air, and a wave stood before the small row boat. Yet it was still rolling. The water's motion hadn't changed.

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "A jutsu…" From the looks of it, it looked like it was from one of Orochimaru's minions.

Neji sharpened his Byakuugan to see the figure standing on the wave clearly. A figure in a black cloak with clouds… he could see the figure's eyes. They were small, like beads. Not human. Neji could also make out a wide toothy grin. The teeth were sharp like a shark's… Suddenly Neji realized who it was.

"Kisame?" Sasuke said it for him. Neji abruptly turned to him, and saw the anger and surprise in his pale face.

Naruto faced the Uchiha as well. "Why is an Akatsuki member…--"

Without warning, water that took the shape of an outstretched arm came rushing down towards the row boat. It passed Shino, Kiba and Shikamaru, and went straight for Hinata. Within seconds, she was captured in a ball of water.

"Gak! Ah--!" The timid girl choked and struggled to get out of it, but it was useless. It was just water all around her. Nothing to hit, nothing to hold on to. It was all liquid.

As soon as Hinata was secure inside the ball of water, the arm drew back, too fast for any of the boys to catch it.

"Hinata!" they screamed almost at the same time. The ball joined the large, still wave, and the boys watched helplessly as Hinata with a devastated face disappeared into the dark blue without a trace.

"You bastard!" exclaimed Naruto. "Give her back! She has nothing to do with you!" His eyes seemed to glow red, and his nails turned into claws. Sasuke looked at him surprised.

With a battle cry, the yellow-haired boy sprang forward towards the figure with claws in front. Kisame seemed to grin. Without another second passing, he sank into the wave, and disappeared. In turn, Naruto missed his shot. The wave crashed down onto the boat. It was too wide for any of the boys to avoid it. Only Naruto fell into the dark sea safely behind the wave.

He felt a rush as he fell into the cold, dark water. It hit his face hard, and he didn't know which way was up anymore.

After a few moments of suffocation, his head finally broke the water's surface. It was still again. Everything was quiet. Nothing seemed to be on the water but pieces of wrecked wood from the row boat, the paddles in halves, and other useless items.

"Neji! Shikamaru!" He called out. His voice echoed through the quiet space. The mist seemed to have given way as well. The night was a bit clearer.

"Kiba! Shino!" His heart was raising. It felt like his legs were going numb from the cold water as well. Despite that, he struggled to keep his head out of the water.

"Sasuke! … Hinata!" It felt difficult to call Sasuke's name, but he was part of the group now. Leaving him out would just be immature.

After a few moments of useless and desperate wading, Naruto finally called out some chakra and made himself stand on the water's surface with ease. He's trained this technique so many times, it was second nature to him.

As soon as he stood on the surface, he heard bubbling of water in different directions, then finally splashing. He quickly looked behind him, and Shikamaru, supporting Kiba rose from the water, drenched.

"Shika! Kiba!" called Naruto in relief. He turned around again, and kneeling on the water was Neji, and not long after, Shino, who was way behind Neji, came walking almost casually towards the group.

Sasuke was standing near some boat wreckage behind him.

Naruto looked at all of them with a relieved look. He looked around some more for one more person. But she was no where to be seen.

"Hinata…" he said softly in shock. "He took her…"

"What would the Akatsuki want with her?" Kiba demanded.

Sasuke looked blankly at the dark water. He was dripping wet like the others. And very tired.

"Let's discuss this when we reach the island." Said Shino.

"Byakuugan!" said Neji. He looked around to make sure he knew which direction he was going, then began running forward. "Follow me."

And so the group did.

It was very dark, and cold. Moving seemed difficult.

"Is this the girl?" asked a deep, cool voice.

"She's as Orochimaru-sama described. It was quite easy capturing her." Replied another.

"Hmph. She doesn't look like much." The cool voice sounded closer.

"It's the same with Naruto-kun, is it not?" said the other voice. It wasn't as deep as the first.

Hinata struggled to lift her heavy eyelids. She gasped as she realized where she was. Her back was laid down flat against a long, bed-like rock. She noticed nothing was wrapped around her. Why is it that she couldn't move?

"Oh look, she's awake."

Hinata turned to the direction of this voice, to her right side. Her eyes widened in shock. This figure didn't look human. His eyes were like beads. Under them were slits that looked like gills. His smile contained sharp teeth. And to make things more unusual, the figure's skin was light blue. Like the ocean. The girl started to hyperventilate. Her heart raised, and beat hard against her chest. She could almost hear it.

The figure sat on the stump of a rock, grinning like a nightmare. "I think she's scared of me."

"With that look on your face, I wonder who wouldn't be." Stated the cool voice.

Hinata turned to its direction on her left. This figure looked more human. Although the bottom half of his face hid behind the large collar of his black cloak, she could see appealing features. But his eyes. They were what struck her the most. They looked down on her with no emotion at all. And they were red… she couldn't help but think that this person, this man, looked familiar.

"He looks just like his brother doesn't he?" said the shark-figure to Hinata's right.

She turned to him as a response. A questionable look on her face. She couldn't speak. Her body was almost completely paralyzed.

A name was trying to find its way into her head. The name of this blue man looking at her. Seemingly guarding her. _Ki… Ki…_ it started with a Ki. That's all she remembered.

"Itachi, why did Orochimaru-sama want this girl again?" asked the blue man.

Hinata struggled to look at the man to her left called Itachi.

_Itachi…_ he sounded familiar.

"Something about her being a threat. He had an unusual dream." He said in such a relaxed way.

If she could, Hinata would gasp in surprise. A dream? Like the one she had?

"If she's a threat, shouldn't we kill her, here and now?" Hinata looked to her right in shock. She saw the shark-man lift a large object slowly into the air. It looked too thick to be a sword.

This girl was sure her heart could be heard by these men now. It beat rapidly.

"Don't tease, Kisame. Orochimaru needs her." Commanded Itachi.

_Kisame, that's his name_. Thought Hinata. She looked at Itachi. Her face was puzzled. "And I myself am curious as to what this girl is capable of." He continued.

Kisame lowered his weapon down. He looked disappointed.

"Why don't you call him Orochimaru-sama like all of us do?"

Itachi was quiet for a moment. Then he looked away.

"No one is my master." Was his reply. Kisame seemed to sigh.

Taking the opportunity, Hinata twisted her head around to observe her surroundings. It was a large cave, lit brightly by some light powered by what seemed like chakra hanging from the high ceiling. _A hideout? _Thought the girl.

She heard wet footsteps coming towards her. Her head couldn't turn to its direction. So she stayed still, and let sweat form on her already wet skin.

"Orochimaru-sama." Said Kisame as he stood and bowed. Itachi did the same.

"We've caught what you've asked for."

Hinata could feel Orochimaru grin. She heard him walk even closer towards her, and finally, saw him hover over her, getting a good look at her cold face. A lump formed in her throat. Her chest started to hurt. Her mind seemed to scramble.

"Hinata-san, I didn't expect that you'd be useful for something." Said Orochimaru casually. He walked to her left side, and took Itachi's rock seat.

"I'm sure you've had an unusual dream as I did. About a green stone with immense power." Hinata responded by looking away. She would shiver if she could.

"The only reason you and your group would be traveling alone is because of this green stone."

Hinata's eyes widened in shock. How would Orochimaru know?

"From a source, I know you're looking for this stone to stop me. To give power to the strongest ninja, and fight me for the sake of your pathetic village."

Hinata closed her eyes. She wanted all this to be over.

"I don't want you to find it for Konoha." Continued Orochimaru with his cold voice.

"I want you to find it for me."

With disbelief on her face, Hinata opened her eyes and looked at the snake-man to her side.

"I know you won't do this willingly, but I have my ways. If you don't do this for me, you and your friends will suffer horribly. Go through different calamities. Die slowly."

The girl's eyes widened in shock. Could Orochimaru really do that?

"On this island, I am God. I've gained control over anything, and everyone. This is my territory, and soon, the larger islands will be, too." His voice made Hinata sick. She wanted to spit. And anger for her was unnatural to feel.

"Your friends are here. I'll give you until tomorrow morning to decide. And that is in about…" he seemed to look outside. Then back at her. "… five hours. Choose wisely." With a horrible smile, he walked out of the cave.

"Why were his feet wet?" asked Kisame.

"He was at the beach making sure you were dong your job. He was quite pleased." Replied Itachi coolly.

Kisame sighed. "Orochimaru-sama doesn't trust me enough yet. I guess it's our fault for almost killing him. At least he's agreed to spare us and share with us his power when he's gained enough."

It was silent before Itachi replied.

"Do you really believe that's the truth…? He's killed all the Akatsuki members except for us… It's suspicious." Itachi sounded almost angry as he said this.

Kisame didn't respond. He merely sat back down on his stump, and looked at the cold stone floor.

Hinata closed her eyes in agony and confusion. _Why me? Why do I have to choose?_

Her choice would be Hell either way. And she only had five hours to decide. She could feel tears sting her eyes. Her heart felt heavy, and ached.

_Help me… Sasuke-kun… Naruto-kun…._

Each boy rested on the beach in their own way. Sasuke walked inches away from cold water before dropping his pack to the side and falling on his knees to rest. Naruto took off his bag before slumping down on the sand as soon as he felt solid earth. His wet back soaked the ground underneath him. Neji half knelt on the sand, panting. Shikamaru and Kiba the same. Shino pressed his hands against his knees and panted. His feet were still in the water.

"Alright, we need to set up what we can for the night." Said Neji, almost breathless.

Shino stood up right to respond. "Yes, we need to rest as much as we can for our chakra—"

"NO!" interrupted Kiba and Naruto almost at the same time.

"What about Hinata!? Are we just gonna ignore the fact that she's been kidnapped from us?" exclaimed the dog boy angrily.

"Yeah, we gotta go look for her! We gotta find her." Naruto was almost shouting. The moonlight reflected off his eyes revealing them to be red. He was standing with fists at his sides. Sand that stuck to his back slid off in clumps.

Neji dropped his bag and stood up in defiance.

"I know how you feel, but think about it. Where would you look for her? Where would you start?" he said. The Uchiha of the group looked up at Hyuuga as the words left his mouth. He thought, _She's on this island… I feel it. But if I tell them, they'll just get the wrong idea of me._

Neji continued, "Besides, we're all tired. We'll look for her as soon as we get our energy back."

Both loud mouths looked down in defeat.

Sasuke sat still on the sand, looking up at the boys. He felt their worry. From behind, he could see their fists shake slightly.

It was quiet for a moment before Shikamaru broke the tension. "Why would the Akatsuki want Hinata anyway? Do you guys think they know about the stone?"

Shino looked out at the dark ocean in thought. He was still dripping wet, but didn't seem bothered by the fact.

"I heard from a source that all the Akatsuki members were killed… so that makes me wonder…"

Sasuke flinched slightly as he heard this, though it wasn't obvious. He stood up and took out a soaked paper bag that carried something heavy from his knapsack.

The sound of the shuffling made Kiba turn to him. His face seemed to have lit up in anger. Without warning, he had caught Sasuke by the collar with two shaky fists.

"You! You must know something!" he said with a shaky voice.

"Your brother is in the Akatsuk, right!?"

Sasuke seemed to have flinched. He dropped his paper bag and returned Kiba's intense glare.

"Kiba," Naruto placed a firm hand on the dog boy's shoulder.

"I know nothing about the Akatsuki, and could care less about my brother. Like I am to him, he's dead to me." Said Sasuke coldly.

"Kiba, let go of Sasuke. There's no point in taking all your frustration out on him." Commanded Shino. Kiba ignored him.

"It's your fault we're in this mess…" his voice was getting quieter.

"Kiba, that's enough." Naruto kept his hand on his companion's shoulder.

Sasuke looked away from him. He still felt the blame. Although Hinata had somehow lightened his heart, it still felt the pain of guilt, and was heavy of it.

"Shika.. maru…!" Kiba sounded like he was struggling to speak. The boy he held in his grasp looked at him in surprise. Behind the dog boy, Shikamaru had extended his shadow to control him. Sasuke felt the shaky hands loosen its grip on his soaked, black collar, and saw them drop to Kiba's sides. After that, Shikamaru made his shadow turn back into its original shape.

"You're acting like a child, Kiba. Don't make me waste my chakra again. It's becoming troublesome."

Kiba turned to glare at him. Then he gave Sasuke one last glance before stomping towards the shoreline of the beach, and sitting on the wet sand.

Naruto didn't know what to say. All he could do was sigh was he watched Sasuke silently pick up the small package he had dropped.

As Sasuke stood up to walk, they locked eyes for a moment, then he continued to walk to the center of the group. In that one moment, Naruto could feel the sting of Sasuke's pain. And the familiar sense of betrayal from their last battle. He looked down at the dark sand in discouragement. He wondered if Sasuke could still be considered a dear friend.

The Uchiha boy knelt down and placed the packet onto the sandy surface. He did his hand gestures to form a jutsu, and after a while, blew out a small ball of fire. The wet paper bag lit up in flame almost at once. All boys looked at it in awe.

"Special coal from the Country of Fire. Lights up almost as soon as it comes in contact with friction and heat, even when wet. Can stay alight up to five hours." Stated Shino. Sasuke nodded. He wasn't surprised about Shino's knowledge.

"Good thinking, Sasuke. Now we can warm up and dry." Said Naruto, speaking to the Uchiha for the first time since they left the island. Sasuke looked at him with appreciation clear in his eyes, though he didn't smile. Naruto shrugged and prepared to unpack what he had near the warm blaze.

Each boy stripped off their wet, outer clothes and placed them near the fire. Only Kiba sat away from the group, sulking while staring at the dark water. The view of stars reflecting off its black surface calmed him down a bit.

"Kiba, you'll be too sick to continue the journey if you don't come sit here." shouted Shikamaru.

"Yeah Kiba, don't be a burden!" teased Naruto with his raspy voice.

Kiba looked back to glare at both of them. Then lowered his head to look down at this wet clothes. He sighed in exasperation, and stood up to join his group.

Neji looked behind him towards where Konoha would be. "The sun will be rising soon. Rest as much as you all can."

The fire burned quietly, and glowed with the warmest orange. The boys of Konoha slept around it almost in a circle. Naruto was sleeping half out of his sleeping bag. Drool trickled from his mouth, which was gaping open as he breathed. Everyone else slept in a perfectly normal position.

Sasuke's eyes opened to a light sound. With a jolt, he sat up, and twisted his head to look at his surroundings. He noticed that the fire was fainter then it was hours ago, and the horizon seemed brighter. The sun was coming.

"Meow." He heard the sound again. It took him a while to realize what the sound was, and where it was coming from. Next to him, out of the group's circle, was a white cat of good shape. Its eyes were a dazzling shade of light green, and it had a patch of pink fur on the top of its small head. The toes of its feet were pink as well, like it stepped into something. "Meow."

All Sasuke could do for those few seconds was blink. What was a cat doing here? Did it belong to someone from the Mist Village? Questions kept on popping into his clouded head. On instinct, he petted the cat. His hand caressed it from its head to its tail. _You faintly remind me of someone…_ he thought. _Sakura…_

From the thought of her name, his heart seemed to have been pricked by a needle. The cat meowed again, then with a smooth motion caressed its cheek against the side of Sasuke's almost-dry inner clothing.

Suddenly, it ran forward, and stopped to look back. Sasuke blinked. What was the matter with this cat? It seemed to be ushering him to follow. The Uchiha took a glance at the sleeping boys. They seemed to be sleeping deeply, and peacefully. No point in waking them up.

Grabbing his dry, black shirt, and awkwardly putting it on without making a sound, he quietly slipped out of his sleeping bag, and walked on the soft sand towards the white cat. It looked satisfied, then began running forward, and into the trees.

_This could be a trap, set by Orochimaru._ Thought Sasuke. His guard was way up, though he looked calm. _If you'll lead me to him, cat, I'll follow._

He couldn't help but feel silly, following a random cat into the woods, but this seemed quite suspicious. After minutes of trudging through almost completely dark woods, the cat had led him to the mouth of a seemingly large cave. The entrance was big enough just to walk through. The inside looked like it was lit by something. He looked at the cat, and petted its head again.

"So you were of some help after all."

The cat purred, then ran off. Sasuke watched in surprise. The moment the cat disappeared into the bushes, he swore he saw Sakura, smiling like her job was done, and playfully running off.

His concentrated, dark eyes seemed to have softened, and he looked away from the direction the cat ran off to.

"Sakura…"

The light from the ceiling seemed to have dimmed, but the same time, a little bit of light has seeped in through the cave's entrance.

"Looks like the sun's almost done rising." taunted Kisame. Hinata whimpered slightly. She still couldn't move, and has been in the same position for hours. Her mind would not rest. Her heart would not calm down. Although she was dry, sweat kept her wet. _The sun, not the sun._ She thought desperately. Her decision had not been made yet. Help Orochimaru, or make her companions suffer, along with herself? Her head throbbed. Why couldn't she move?

Itachi looked at the poor girl laying on her back, on a flat, bed-like rock.

"I doubt she's made her decision yet." He said with his deep, cool voice.

Kisame chuckled. "It doesn't look like she's able to move yet, either."

Itachi stood up, and took a step closer to where Hinata lay. He saw that her eyes were wide open in fear. More sweat broke on her forehead when she looked into his red eyes.

Gently, Itachi brushed the sweat off her face, and pushed her chin up so that she had a better view of him. Hinata gulped.

"Do you know why you cannot move?" He asked.

Hinata would have shook her head.

Itachi continued, "When you were unconscious, Orochimaru put a drop of a drug he's made into your mouth. That one drop has various substances that paralyze, and his essence."

Hinata felt the blood drain from her face.

"When I mean his essence, I mean his whole being. He put drops of his own blood into the drug, and mixed it with his own Chakra."

Kisame looked on in amusement. "Look how white her face is."

Itachi ignored him.

"Putting this drug in your body, Orochimaru can make you do what ever he wants. Unless your will is strong enough, he can take complete control of you. Your body won't be able to refuse him. When the drug takes effect, you will be able to sense if Orochimaru is near or not. You'll know the drug is working when you start to move again."

Itachi caressed her pale, soft cheek, and traced her skin with his finger from her neck to her shoulder. She almost shuddered from the feeling.

"After he's done with you, your energy becomes his. Your abilities become his. And your life," Itachi hovered over the girl so his face shadowed her own. "Your life is sucked away." Saying that, he leaned back, indicating the one-way conversation to be over. He sat back on his rock stump, and looked out at the entrance.

"So either way, what ever she decides, she really has no choice." stated Kisame.

"That's what Orochimaru meant by 'having his ways'." Said Itachi. "By the time the sun has completely risen, you'll be able to move again, Hinata-san." said Itachi politely.

Hinata's chest started to hurt once more. It was like a heart attack. Her breathing was heavier as well. In minutes, she would become Orochimaru's slave, and there was no way out of it.

She felt tears sting her eyes. Her vision started to blur.

There was no hope. No hope at all. Everyone is going to suffer. All because of her.

_You can't do anything right!_ She thought to herself. _You're too weak…_ Familiar pain hit her hard. She closed her eyes in agony, and felt hot tears trickle down.

At that moment, she wished to never move again. Somehow, she wanted to end her life. Or just disappear… Anything to get away from this horrible world.

Her head throbbed. Its beating synced with her heart. Nothing could be done. All she could do was lay there, still, and wait.

Though Hinata did not notice, Itachi suddenly stood up.

"Let's leave her to her sorrow." He said in an even, low voice.

Kisame stood up as well. "Alright, I'm getting famished anyway."

They both started to walk into the dark hallway that lead to the cave's opening. On the way, Hinata could hear Kisame's taunting voice bounce off the rock walls, causing it to echo. "It's not like she can run away, anyway."

Sasuke had to force himself not to move or breathe at all for two reasons: To strain himself from not being noticed by the two men in black cloaks, and to control himself from attacking the man he hates the most.

He glared at Itachi with rage burning in his eyes as the man walked away unknowingly. Of course, the idea to kill him now hit Sasuke on the head like a large brick. But the memory of his brother's power still haunted him, and stopped him from doing so. He knew that now was not the time for revenge. He has come this far into the woods, he's left his companions at the beach, and before him, a mysterious cave opened its wide mouth to him, beckoning him to go inside. It wasn't just curiosity that yanked his attention towards the cave entrance. A feeling in his gut made his whole body seem to tingle. His heart raced. Just staring at the cave entrance was making him anxious. It was like a magnet, pulling his body towards it. He dare not fight it. He knew what was in there. All he needed to do was find out for sure.

"Hinata…"

The hallway seemed to have lit up from the rising of the sun. It wasn't very long. On the other end, Sasuke could already see a light room, and the figure of a person lying down. Though, with the perspective he was in, he couldn't tell for certain. Slowly, he entered the light room, not daring to make a sound. Every few minutes he would turn his head back to see if someone was behind him. He's had the distinct feeling that he was being watched since he entered the cave's mouth.

"Ugh…" the sound of a groan stopped him cold. He stayed still in the shadow of the cave's hallway. Unmoving, and breathing every so softly, he watched as the figure struggled to sit up. Sasuke held back a gasp. He noticed long, dark hair trail down from the figure's head. Unsure of what to do, he stood his ground, and continued to watch.

Hinata's tears wouldn't seem to stop flowing. She sat on her rock-bed, and started to sob. "No…" she said with an agonizing voice. "No, no, no, no!" she shook her head in an attempt to get out of this nightmare.

Her hands rose and pressed themselves against her face. Heavy sobs made it hard for her to breathe. "I'd rather die, I'd rather die." She chanted to herself repeatedly.

"Don't say that." Said a voice, momentarily distracting her from her sorrow. She gasped, and looked to its direction. Her mind scrambled. Seconds flew by before she realized who it was that spoke. Before she realized who was walking towards her out of the shadows. "S-Sasuke-kun?"

Without thinking, she jumped off her rock bed. The impact affected her more then expected. Though she was on her feet, balance did not come. She staggered forward, and saw the ground rush up towards her.

"Oof!"

Soft but firm, his heartbeat faster than usual, Sasuke had caught her before she hit the ground.

"If you die, then this whole thing would have been wasted effort." He said evenly.

"And I don't know what I'd do…" he trailed off. Hinata's body was against his chest, her head cushioned against his shoulder. His arms were around her, supporting her. The seemed to hold her tighter as Sasuke's last sentence escaped his mouth. It was an embrace.

He didn't know what came over him. His purpose was to prevent her from hitting the ground, yet it felt so right to have her there. His arms fit around her perfectly. He could feel her heart as it started to beat faster, as did her breathing it seemed. Her warmth engulfed his body. Burden didn't exist at that moment. It was just her, her presence, her being. Letting go did not cross his mind.

Hinata could feel her face start to burn up. She was embarrassed by the fact that she was being held by a boy, and by the fact that he could probably feel her fast beating heart. As anxious as she felt, she didn't fight. She knew she needed this. She needed this comfort at this very moment. Her tears kept on flowing, and her eyes started to feel sore. She closed them slowly. Taking in all the different feelings that swirled in her body. Her heart still beat rapidly, but anxiety wasn't so obvious anymore. She was cold, and still somewhat wet, so Sasuke's warmth was more then welcomed. Every moment, she savored it. The seconds extended. As she rested her tired, quivering body on his, she lifted her own arms to put around him. Such security she felt. Never again did she want to let go.

They held each other there for moments, not caring about the time, or anything. It was very quiet. But this time, the quiet between the two was not from awkwardness. Hinata felt so comfortable…

Her eyes flew open as a the image of Orochimaru's hideous face popped into her head. Along with the feeling like her gut was being pierced slowly. Her stomach churned. With a gasped, she let go of Sasuke, and fell back against the wall. Her hand gripped her chest, and she started panting.

With tears still streaming down her cheeks, she looked up at the confused boy in front of her, and said, "He's coming."

Sasuke looked at her in confusion. He did not understand the emotions that engulfed his body a while ago, and now this girl, who has been missed, is breathing heavily and looking like she saw death. Suddenly, he realized.

"Orochimaru, what has he done to you!?" he demanded. His voice bouncing of the cave's rocky walls. Pale hands gripped the girl's shoulders. He asked again, "What has he done?"

Hinata wrapped her arms around her stomach and slid down, making herself go into fetal position. Her hair covered her face.

"I can feel him. He's coming closer." She muffled with a quivering voice.

"Sasuke-kun, g-get out of here!"

Sasuke looked at her with bewildered eyes. He turned around behind him, and saw no one at the entrance. Then he turned back to Hinata. He leaned over, making his face closer to hers. She was sobbing, and seemed to be cringing in pain. Anger burned in the Uchiha boy's gut as he saw her state.

"No." Was his reply.

His hands rose from her shoulders and cupped her face, forcing her to look up, into his dark eyes.

"I-I might… hurt you." Stuttered Hinata through her sobs. "Orochimaru has d-drugged me…"

At that, Sasuke's eyes widened. He bent his head so his hair shadowed his face, and stood up, letting go of Hinata's face.

"Let him come." He challenged as he turned to face the cave's entrance. His fists clenched into tight fists at his sides.

On the other side of the rocky hallway, a dark figure came walking towards the pair, chuckling softly.

Kiba felt so stupid. Sneaking around, spying, and not making a sound. Watching as Sasuke entered the cave, and sitting there for a while waiting for something to happen. And now there was his main enemy—Konoha's enemy—who had entered the cave as well. Orochimaru. Just his name made the dog-boy grit his teeth.  
What was he to do now? What if he was expecting Kiba to come? It could be a trap. Maybe Sasuke was working for the snake-man after all.  
Negative thoughts scrambled in Kiba's head. "Ah, damn it," he rubbed his forehead in irritation. "That's it." The pupils in his eyes seemed to have formed into cat-like slits. Quietly, he leapt off his spot behind a tree, and landed in front of the cave's mouth. Taking a deep breath, he started to walk towards the dark hallway.  
"What is it you want from us, Orochimaru?" Kiba stopped in his tracks as he heard Sasuke's demanding voice. He scuttled forward a bit more, to get a better view of what was happening on the other side of the cave. But also, he made sure that his presence was still in the shadows.  
He heard Orochimaru chuckle, and stopped. The distance between him and the chamber on the other side was enough for him to see what was going on. He could make out Orochimaru as the figure standing with his back turned towards the cave entrance, and the long dark hair. Sasuke was obviously the one he was talking to. The one in the black suit… but there was another person with him.  
A girl huddled against the wall, looking in pain.  
Though the light was dim, Kiba held back a gasp as he realized who this girl was by the color of her long her. "Hina…ta…"  
"Answer me, Orochimaru!" ordered Sasuke.  
"I only want what you want, Sasuke-kun." Said the snake-man calmly. His voice made the hairs on Kiba's back stand.  
"The gem… is that what you're after?" asked Sasuke.  
Orochimaru laughed. It sent a chill down Kiba's spine.  
"Why don't you ask your friend over there? It's the reason she's in such a state."  
State? Thought the boy hidden in the shadows. He had the strongest urge to take the girl and run, but fear unusually gripped at his gut. Things were going to get worse. He just knew. So he didn't dare move.  
Sasuke looked back at Hinata, shivering with her knees to her chest.  
"You bastard…" he turned his eyes back to Orochimaru. They seemed to be glowing red under the dim light. "What did you do!?" he took out a Kunai knife and lunged forward. "I'll kill you!"  
The kunai slashed at nothing. Sasuke stared in awe as he saw that there was no one in front of him. His eyes scanned the area. He noticed something in the rocky hall way.  
Kiba sat still in shock. In Sasuke's return, he had never seen the Uchiha lash out like this. He didn't know how he should react.  
The boys looked at each other in what seemed like minutes before they heard Orochimaru's smooth, lazy-like voice. Sasuke spun around immediately.  
"Hinata-san, take out your kunai knife." commanded the snake-man.  
Still shaking slightly, Hinata stood, and hesitantly slid her hand into her small pouch that clung to her right thigh.  
"Hinata… what are you doing?" asked Sasuke in disbelief. Orochimaru stood next to the girl, and looked satisfied.  
"I'm s-sorry… S-Sasuke-kun…" said Hinata through strained lips. Her eyes were red from all the tears.  
"P-please… run away." Her left hand seemed to be forcing her right hand to stay down. It gripped her wrist tightly. The kunai shone under the dim light. It looked brand-new, like it had been polished recently.  
"Hinata, stop it." Urged Sasuke. He took a step forward in concern and as a warning.  
"I… can't…." struggled Hinata. Kiba gritted his teeth. What was he to do? He felt the skin over his knuckles stretch as he formed his hands into tight fists.  
"Now, Hinata-san, attack Sasuke-kun please." Said Orochimaru in a sickly polite voice. From there, time seemed to speed up.  
Sasuke found himself flat on his back on the floor with a blood pouring out from a deep cut on his right shoulder. Hinata's kunai knife in it, digging deeper. She was kneeling on his stomach, putting pressure on Sasuke's new wound. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" she chanted with a shaky voice as tears fell from her wide, silver eyes.  
Sasuke gritted his teeth from the pain. His hands were both over Hinata's, preventing the blade from getting any deeper into his shoulder. Breathing was a challenge. She was much stronger than he had expected. Or maybe he was just weakened by the fact that this girl is the one assaulting him.  
Orochimaru laughed again, momentarily snapping Kiba back to reality. He hadn't realized that all he had been doing was watch his companions in the safety of the shadows. It made him sick to the stomach.  
"Hinata-san, I'll leave things here to you. You can kill him if you want." Chuckled the pale-faced man. He took a step back, and making a symbol with his hands, disappeared, leaving an echo of his evil laughter in the cave's chamber. Kiba bit his lip. He flinched as he saw Hinata jerk her kunai out of Sasuke's bleeding shoulder. As she struck down, Sasuke took the opportunity to grab her wrists, and, although his stomach was knelt on, he used his abdominal muscles to help push her down. She fell back with a thud.  
"Fight it Hinata!" commanded the Uchiha. "Fight it, dammit!"  
The throbbing of his fresh wound could not be compared to the pain he felt at the sight of Hinata's petrified face. One hand still clutched the kunai rather tightly. He saw as the blood from his shoulder trickle down his right arm, and stain Hinata's hand as well.  
"I'm sorry." She said again.  
Sasuke gritted his teeth. He didn't know what else to do.  
Suddenly, the ground started to rumble, and particles of rock from the cave walls hit the hard floor with soft pitter patters. This didn't distract the Uchiha boy. His hands kept Hinata pinned to the floor, and his eyes never left hers. The intensity of their stare made the girl look away with a heavy heart. She shut her eyes in an attempt to escape, reality. Against her will, she struggled against Sasuke's hold.  
"You two, we have to get out!" shouted Kiba through the sound of falling rocks. "This place is gonna collapse—" The rumble of the ground seemed to have shifted to violent shakings. It caused Kiba to fall back, interrupting his words. Before he could regain his balance, the ceilings had dropped large rocks between him and his two companions. In panic, he scrambled to his feet and ran towards the exit of the cave, boulders and rocks creating a wall behind as he did. As soon as he saw the opening out of the cave, he leapt out, rolling as he landed onto his back. He could still feel the shaking, but noticed it become less violent each minute. As if the cave was set to self-destruct when the time was right. From where he lay, he could hear the collapsing of the rocks all too well.  
"Damn…"  
He pressed his hands against his brows in frustration. The shaking was a little weaker now. With legs that trembled slightly, he got up on his feet, and looked at the solid mass in front of him with wide, disbelieving eyes. As the cloud of dust settled, he saw the remains of the cave. Just a pile of rocks and boulders. His hands balled into fists and he gritted his teeth.  
"No…" he said quietly as he approached the rubble. "Hinata…"  
Weak from the shock, his legs gave up on him, and caused him to fall on his knees. "Sasuke…"  
His heart started to race. He could only feel devastation and guilt. With shaky hands, he started to dig through the pile.  
I could've done something! What was I thinking!? He scolded himself in his head.  
His hands started to move quicker with the digging. It was useless effort, he knew. But what could he do now?  
He's lost his loved ones before. He won't lose anyone again. Tears stung his eyes, but he fought them from coming. No point in crying now. It would just make him weaker.

It was dark. Pitch black. There was no sound. No other sound but his breathing… and someone else's. He sat up suddenly. Blinking rapidly as to get a better view in the dark. "Hinata!" he exclaimed. His voice echoed through the walls. He scrambled to his feet, a hand pressured onto his wounded shoulder.  
"Hinata, where are you?" he relied on his senses to find the lost girl. It surprised him that he wasn't crushed by rocks from the ceiling. He could even stand up straight.  
His steps were slow, and dragged on the floor. A bloody hand stretched a few inches away from his body in case he bumped into something. Then he felt it. The wall of fallen boulders and rocks. The tunnel, he thought. It had been blocked completely. That was why no light was getting through. Before he began to dig, he dodged something sharp that stabbed into the rocks beside him with a clang, causing particles to fly about. He closed his eyes, took a few steps back, and went into his fighting stance.  
"I'm sorry!" said Hinata in a whimpering tone. It was easy to tell she was crying.  
Sasuke felt his ears twitch as he heard her charge forward. Activating his sharingan, he dodged again, back slammed against the smooth rock wall of the chamber. Even with the sharingan, he couldn't see in this dark, but it heightened his senses ten times more. Not only would he be able to hear Hinata's approaching well, but he'd be able to feel it.  
"Just kill me now." Pleaded Hinata. She slashed violently in Sasuke's direction.  
He ducked and kicked the knife out of her hand. Heard it clank against the ceiling.  
"No! I won't!"  
Before he could grab her, she herself dodged, and pressured a hand forward, like she was pushing something, into Sasuke's chest. He dodged to the side, the hand barely touching him, but the force was enough to rip the clothing over his skin. He made no reaction to the slight pain inflicted on him as he skidded on the floor.  
It was the Hyuuga technique. The skill that made their family unique. If that hand had actually pushed itself against his chest, his heart would have stopped, or at least receive a bloody impact, causing him to cough out blood.  
"Hinata, fight it. You're stronger then this!" commanded Sasuke sternly.  
"I-I can't!" panted Hinata as she lunged forward, another hand ready to strike.  
"My will isn't strong enough." Her voice was shaking. Either from her charging or crying. Sasuke attempted to dodge her attack, but stumbled, and found himself lying on the bed Hinata was on. He closed his eyes at the sudden impact, and froze when Hinata seemingly missed her shot, and hit the space next to him, denting the rock greatly. Sasuke heard her whimper. Before she could strike again, he took the opportunity to grab the wrist next to him, and with guessing, grabbed onto the other wrist that was about to push itself on neck. Then mustering all strength, flipped over, pushing himself off the rock bed, and landing on top of Hinata, pinning her to the hard ground. He could feel her begin to struggle, and attempt to kick him off.  
"You can fight it, Hinata." Said Sasuke with a gentle, but strong tone.  
"No, I can't, I can't. I'm too weak!" whimpered Hinata, thrashing her head from side to side.  
"Shut up!" commanded Sasuke. His voice struck Hinata so hard, she couldn't help but stop, and with her Byakuugan activated, look up at him. Even if her vision showed him in black and white, she could see the color of his feelings rise up on his almost expressionless face. The clearest emotion she could make out was pain. Somehow she thought it was not from being shunned by the surviving villager, or hurtful words from Kiba. More tears stung at her eyes as she realized it was pain from her. For losing her, for being attacked by her. She kept her mouth shut, not knowing what else to say.  
"You''re stronger then you think. I can feel it." Said Sasuke, a little more quietly.  
Hinata felt her body ache, craving to feel the Uchiha's blood washed over it. Her legs kept on kicking against her will. Her hand struggled to set themselves free from his grip. Even though she knew in her mind that it was useless, but her body wasn't hers at the moment. It was Orochimaru's.  
"I'm not letting you go until you find your strength."  
She saw his hovered face lean closer to hers. As fast as her heart was already beating, she felt it beat with greater speed. It was like her chest would explode any second. She tried her best to slow her panting, but no success. Her breathing was still heavy. More tears came.  
"I can't…" she closed her eyes, and fought back Orochimaru's hold.  
"You can." Said Sasuke. He leaned his sweaty forehead against hers, and closed his own eyes as if to concentrate.  
She tried to visualize something, anything, that would distract her from giving in completely to Orochimaru's drug. Her eyes were closed tightly. The lids over them felt like they were crushing her eyes, but she didn't care. She slowly inhaled a heavy chunk of air, and breathed out. It was an attempt to relax her body. If it weren't for the beating of both Sasuke's and her pulses, and their heavy breathings, the chamber would have been completely quiet.  
They stayed that way for a while, Sasuke's hand pinning Hinata's wrists to the floor, his forehead against hers.  
Then there was a warmth. Neither one of the two opened their eyes, but they both felt it. It was like low heat was slowly radiating from Hinata's body. Heat that removed all negativity from a person's being.  
That wasn't all. As Hinata kept her breathing even, she could see through her lids faint green light. It was comforting. She could feel her hair start to flow upwards as if a wind was blowing her from behind. Realizing how that would be impossible, she quickly opened her eyes and gasped, causing Sasuke to open his own eyes and draw back. He looked at her with bewildered eyes.  
As he turned his head to look around the rock chamber, he realized that soft, green light bounced off the walls, and what seemed like fireflies hovered over head. He turned back to Hinata, about to ask what was happening, but his jaw dropped from the sight of her.  
Hinata herself was too shocked to speak. She could feel the warmth radiate out of her, as well as the light. This Hyuuga girl was glowing. Her long hair flowed as if she were in water. Suddenly, she was relaxed. Her heart felt lifted, and her tears seemed to have stopped coming. She felt light. With bright eyes, she looked at the Uchiha.  
"Sasuke-kun…"  
Hesitantly, Sasuke got off of her, and took a few more steps back as if more were about to happen, and more did.  
As Hinata sat up, she began to rise from the ground. She was levitating.  
Sasuke looked on in awe. Like in the forest on the way to camp, when he saw her with the fireflies. Burdens didn't exist. Hinata was the firefly princess.  
No. She was an angel. The way her hair flowed, the way soft, green light radiated out of her, the way soft spots of greenish-white light floated all around her, it was celestial.  
"Sasuke-kun…" she said his name with such warmth. Sasuke took a step forward.  
"Hinata…"  
For the first time since they arrived at the island, the girl smiled.  
Suddenly, all the light disappeared. Hinata's hair began to drop, and so did her body. Sasuke caught her in time before she hit the ground. The light may have been gone, but the warmth was still there. Hinata's eyes were closed, as if she was resting. Sasuke's lips twitched at the sides to form a slight smile. He carried the girl, and gently placed her on the rock she was found on.  
Moaning softly, Hinata opened her eyes. It was dark, but she knew where Sasuke stood, and looked up at him. "What was…" her voice was weak.  
Sasuke brushed a lock hair off her face. "Hinata," he began gently.  
"Along with your strength, I think we found the jade stone."

"What the hell is this?" exclaimed Shikamaru in shock as he saw Kiba digging at a mound of rocks uselessly. He noticed the dog-boy's hands were bleeding and blistered. "Kiba, stop! What are you doing?" cut in Naruto as he leapt to Kiba's side and began pulling him back.  
Shino and Neji stood idly by, watching with confused expressions on their faces.  
"That earthquake from earlier must've caused this." Said Neji.  
"It must've. But why is Kiba digging so desperately?" wondered Shino, pushing his glasses further up his nose. Suddenly, Neji felt something in his gut. He twitched at the feeling, and sprinted towards where the other boys where. Shino was left standing by himself, unsure of what was happening.  
"Who is in there?" asked Neji sternly. Kiba gave him a bewildered look, and pushed Naruto away. "H-Hinata, and Sasuke…" he stuttered with a desperation in his voice, a finger pointing towards the mound of rock.  
"They're in there. I couldn't save them—" he cut himself off and began digging again.  
"Kiba, rest your hands, damn it!" commanded Naruto, pulling him back again.  
"We'll do the rest of the digging!"  
Kiba let out a growl and pushed Naruto back. "Leave me alone, this is my fault! I'm fixing it!" Kiba was too lost in guilt. He couldn't think straight anymore.  
Naruto fell on his bottom with an "Oof!"  
He threw Kiba a glare, and gritted his teeth. "Kiba, you idiot!" he shouted, standing up, a fist raised, ready to impact. Before anything could be done, Shikamaru activated his jutsu, stretching his shadow towards Naruto, so the Uzumaki could not move. Neji pulled Kiba back, and held him down.  
"This is no time to be horsing around." Said Shikamaru, his tone harsh and commanding. "Everyone, start digging."  
Shino summoned all his insects, telling them where to go and what to do. They were to loosen the rocks and report what was happening in side. Naruto mustered up all strength and punched at the boulders, causing them to explode and sent rock particles in all direction.  
"Careful! You might make it worse with that." Commanded Shikamaru. Naruto held back another punch, and began digging, throwing huge boulders to the side, and small rocks behind him. Neji activated his byakuugan to see inside. Shikamaru kept on digging with Kiba, hauling rocks and boulders from side to side.  
"This is useless! What if they're already—"  
"I can see them." Cut Neji before Naruto could continue.  
Shino picked up a small insect from the ground and nodded at it as if in conversation. He reported, "They're tired, and bleeding, but they'll live."  
Kiba looked at Neji with wide eyes, then turned to Shino. "They're alive?"  
He then began to dig faster, not caring who the rocks would hit behind him.  
"Alright, let's do this." Said Naruto. "Kage bunshin no jutsu!" he shouted when he put his two hands together for a technique. In seconds, the area was surrounded by yellow-heads, all pumped and ready to dig.  
"Narutos, go!" he commanded, and the Uzumaki's did as they were told. The other boys looked on, momentarily forgetting about their jobs from the shock.  
Great, more idiots. Thought Shikamaru as he proceeded with his digging. Though, he was relieved that there was more help.  
They could hear them on the other side, and felt the impact of the boulder Naruto had punched. "They're here." Said Sasuke, approaching the wall of rock.  
"Hinata, stay back." With that, he took a breath in, and began beating at the walls, cutting them clean like a knife through butter. It was so fast. Hinata looked on in awe, sitting up from her hard bed.  
In what seemed like hours, light began to seep in from a little crack into the cave's chamber. "I see something!" said a Naruto clone. The wall finally collapsed, and the people on either side were both revealed. For moments, all they could do was stare at each other. It was silent. Then suddenly, Kiba broke the silence.  
"Hinata!" he called, approaching her with rushed steps. He hovered over her, panting. "Are you okay?"  
Neji followed after him. Then Shino.  
Sasuke looked back at them, relieved. His hand was unconsciously over his shoulder. Shikamaru called, "Sasuke," The Uchiha turned to him. "Get over here. You're bleeding." Sasuke shrugged and approached the boy. Naruto stood by, preparing a roll of bandages. "Thanks," he muttered, cutting a long strip of bandage and handing it to Shikamaru.  
"Shouldn't I be the one thanking?" replied Sasuke, slipping off the top part of his clothing.  
Naruto pouted, "Would you shut up, and let me be nice to you for one second?"  
Sasuke smirked, satisfied by the reaction. "Alright, alright, dobe. You're welcome."  
"Hmph." Replied Naruto, handing Shikamaru a bottle of rubbing alcohol.  
He didn't flinch as he felt his wound being dabbed by cold alcohol. Suddenly, he was feeling faint. He placed a hand against his forehead, and closed his eyes.  
"What's wrong?" asked Naruto, suddenly concerned.  
"He's lost a lot of blood. Plus, he's been moving too much for his own good." Replied Shikamaru like a professional. He wrapped the long strip of bandage around the Uchiha's shoulder, and tied it securely, making a small ribbon on Sasuke's back.  
"I'm fine," said Sasuke, standing up. "Go look at Hinata, she's the…" not even taking a full step forward, his vision blurred, his head swam, and his legs betrayed him, causing him to tilt over to the side.  
"Sasuke!" Naruto caught him. "You idiot, don't force yourself when you're obviously—" He stopped when he noticed the Uchiha's eyes were closed, and his breathing was even.  
"Carry him to the camp. We'll rest up, then head off later, or tomorrow if things get worse." Said Shikamaru. He waved at the other boys, and walked back with Naruto, taking the first aid kit with him.  
"Is Sasuke-kun alright?" asked Hinata as she watched the boys carry him away. Kiba would not keep his eyes off of her. "I'm sure he's fine." He replied gently. "Let's go. You need to rest." He began to take hold of Hinata's hand, but she drew back, and held her hand like an injured pet against her chest. She began to shiver slightly. "I-I hurt him…" she said with a shaky voice. "He was trying to save me, and I…" guilt rising to the surface, she placed her face in her hands and began to sob. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I'm sorry." She mumbled. Kiba looked on helplessly, unsure of what to do. "H-Hinata…" he began, but held back, not knowing what to say either.  
"You can tell him that when he wakes up." Assured Neji. Hinata looked up at him surprised. "Neji-nii-san…" she was touched by his sudden comforting. He smiled warmly. "Let's go." He said, turning around and preparing his back for her to ride.  
"I'll carry you back."  
She hesitated, her hand reaching for Neji's shoulder, but drawing back.  
"It's no problem, Hinata," said Shino. "Take the ride. We're all waiting for you."  
Kiba only nodded.  
Hinata looked at her teammate behind the shades, and could feel tears begin to sting again at her eyes. She realized they didn't care what she did. They'll always accept her, no matter what.  
So as not to burden the boys more, she quickly placed herself on Neji's back, and placed her face on his shoulder, so the tears wouldn't be so obvious.  
"Thank you…" she mumbled. Kiba smiled in relief. Shino did as well, though it was hard to tell with the collar over his mouth.  
With that, they walked off, towards their camp on the beach.  
A circle of sleeping bags with a burnt out bonfire in the center. That was what the camp consisted of, and it relieved the team how nothing had changed about it since they left to search for missing others.  
Sasuke was unconscious on Naruto's sleeping bag. The top part of his suit still around his waist. Blood seeped into the bandage enough that red was be visible. Naruto sat next to the body, cross-legged, with eyes that seemed to be analyzing it. His cheeks rested on the palm of his hands.  
"Enjoying the view?" joked Shikamaru, rolling up his sleeping bag. Naruto shot him a glare.  
"Shut up." He hissed.  
"Why else would you be staring at him so attentively?"  
Naruto's expression softened. He turned his eyes back to the Uchiha, replying,  
"I don't know… I kinda sense something about him. Like, he seems different."  
"He's been away for years. Something's bound to change." Shikamaru tied up his roll of sleeping bag securely.  
"No, I mean from yesterday."  
"How so?"  
"How would I know?" The words came out more frustrated.  
Sasuke let out a soft groan, then turned his head to the side. His lids over his eyes tight.  
"He's still in pain." Said Shikamaru, dropping his bag and approaching the scene. "Man, he's still bleeding."  
Naruto turned to his teammate with a worried expression.  
"Why hasn't he stopped yet?"  
Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head in agitation. "That wound's really deep."  
He reached out a hand and slipped it between Sasuke's back and the sleeping bag. With some effort, he forced the boy to sit up.  
"Hold him for a moment. His bandage needs to be changed."  
Naruto nodded, and helped support the limp body.  
Before Shikamaru could cut the blood-soaked strips off, a call interrupted him.  
"Yo!" It was Kiba. The others behind him. Shikamaru sighed and lazily waved back.  
Hinata lifted her head off of Neji's shoulder, and her eyes, red around it from crying, widened at the sight of Naruto holding Sasuke against him. An unfamiliar feeling shot through her body. Something like jealousy, or relief. Maybe a mix of both.

Hastily, she slipped off of Neji's back, surprising the Hyuuga boy. He stopped walking, and let her move.  
"How is Sasuke-kun?" she asked, her voice shaky from half-waddling towards Naruto, and a sense of self-consciousness.  
Shikamaru replied, "He's fine. I just need to change his bandage." Naruto nodded in agreement.  
Hinata slumped herself on her knees next to the Uzumaki. Just as Shikamaru made another attempt to cut the blood-soaked bandage, Hinata interrupted, "C-can I…"  
With a sigh, Shikamaru stopped and looked at her with half open eyes, waiting for her to finish her request.  
"Can I be the one to s-support him?" her own voice surprised her. Each pair of eyes in the group except for Sasuke's widened from the unexpectedness.  
"Y-yeah, sure." Replied Naruto awkwardly, shuffling to the side so that Hinata could take his place.  
His body felt so warm against her own. He was breathing so evenly, like he was only sleeping. It felt so comfortable, she didn't want to move from her position. His head against her shoulder, her cheek on his head. Shikamaru proceeded with his task in silence as the others looked on.  
Naruto sat right next to the pair, observing them, though they did nothing but sit there. Somehow, he didn't feel comfortable about the two of them being together. It was hard to swallow.  
"What's gotten into them, I wonder." Whispered Neji to Shino, sensing some static in the air.  
Kiba's hands balled into fists in his pockets. He definitely didn't like the scene. Feelings of regret began to surface. But Shino's voice broke through his negativity:  
"This is the most at peace I'd seen her since the massacre."  
Those words made the dog-boy take a better look at what was displayed. Through his own selfishness, he saw the warmth in Hinata. Although it was only a view of her back, he noticed her shoulders weren't so tense anymore. Her breathing was even as well. The fists in his pockets softened. He let out a sigh.  
"Done. You can set him down now." Said Shikamaru as he packed the first aid back into its kit.  
Hinata didn't want to do as she was told, but she knew she had to. She felt that she put Sasuke through enough already, and didn't want to make it worse.  
As she began to lower his body, something gripped at shirt on her back. It made her wince and yelp in surprise.  
"He's awake?" asked Naruto, shock in his voice.  
"No…" replied Shikamaru. He leaned in to take a closer look at the situation.  
Sasuke's hand had seemed to have moved on its own, gripping Hinata at the back so she wouldn't let him go. He nuzzled his cheek against her shoulder gently.  
This caused the Hyuuga girl to blush. Her face burned red. Naruto gritted his teeth subtly.  
"He's still unconscious," said Kiba rather bitterly.  
"Hold him the way he is, then." Advised Shikamaru.  
"It would seem that Sasuke is much more at ease this way." Added Shino. Neji nodded, his eyes holding a sense of awe.  
Hinata felt sweat begin to form on her skin. Eyes were on her, and in her arms was the body of … she wasn't sure what he was to her. Either way, it was downright embarrassing. Moments of silence passed before Kiba spat out, "I'm going to the beach." And stomped off.  
"You're at the beach already." Called Naruto after him. "I'll be along the shoreline then!" called back Kiba.  
Neji looked at Shino in puzzlement. Shino only shrugged.  
Hinata suddenly realized that Naruto was one of the people watching her. Her crush. The one she's wanted to spend her whole life with. Without looking at him, she mumbled, "N-Naruto-kun…"  
"Huh?" Naruto didn't make an effort to get a better hearing of her words. His eyes were half-open, as if he was annoyed.  
She slowly turned to face him, but at the sight of his expression, turned away quickly. Her heart began to pace faster.  
"C-could you please … check on K-Kiba-kun?" She spoke a little louder, enough for Naruto to hear.  
"Hm?" said Naruto, tilting his head to the side.  
Hinata lowered her head, her eyes shut tightly.

Finally, Naruto understood. He got up to his feet, and began to walk away. "Yeah, got it..." He said, making his way towards Kiba.  
"Oi, give this to Kiba, will you?" requested Shikamaru as he threw a roll of bandage at Naruto. The Uzumaki caught it with ease and without looking back. He kept walking.  
"I'm sorry…" whispered Hinata, guilt weighing down on her heart again. Yet, despite the guilt, she didn't regret.  
Shikamaru was now fixing the dead bonfire so that it could be reused. "We need resources," he said, while digging into his pockets for a switch knife.  
"Got it. I'll gather some wood." said Neji, who was gone in a flash.  
"I'll hunt for something." Said Shino, as coolly as always.  
"But we already got food." Said Shikamaru before the bug-boy could set off.  
"I know." He replied bluntly, then disappeared.  
"… Alrighty then." Shikamaru set aside his sleeping bag and rolled up his sleeves.  
"You two, we'll rest for a while. When Sasuke wakes, we'll set out. Our mission isn't finished." With that, he stood, and approached two grumbling boys along the shoreline, the first aid kit in one hand. Hinata nodded, grateful for being left alone, and savored her time with a slumbering Sasuke. His arm didn't limp back to his side. It stayed on her back, keeping her from letting him go. She had no plans of doing that. Hinata was content about where she was, and who she was with.


	4. Chapter 4

SasuHina fanfic

**SasuHina fanfic**

In the beginning –back in year 06--, I thought that the pairing of SasuHina was too crack for me. Despite that, I started a fanfic about them, just to see what happens. And now, in this last chapter, I've come to actually like this pairing. I admit, they're not in my faves category, but still, I can't help but go "Aw…" at every cute picture I see of them. (picture, not fanfic xD)

Feel free to make fanarts based on this :D. But please, show me!!

Oh, and another thing. Yes, this is the last chapter. I appreciate you all taking the time and reading. Thank you so much for your support! It was a fun experience, and very thoughtful, too. Enjoy, and Happy New year! (January 2008)

**The final day**

All seven of them were gathered around a weak fire with fish on sticks stuck to the ground around the flame. Each minute seemed to get colder as the sun got ready to set. It wouldn't set for another few hours, but already, the sky seemed to be a transition of colors, from a darker blue, to a brighter orange right along the line of the sea in the horizon. The clouds were a cotton-candy pink. This image reflected off the water.

"S-Sasuke-kun, aren't you cold?" asked Hinata, sitting between Sasuke, and the person she supposedly liked, Naruto, to her left side.

Sasuke -- still wearing his outfit half-on, so his chest was bare -- shrugged. But it caused pain to spread from his wound. His shoulder was definitely not healed yet. The Uchiha cringed forward a bit, sending Hinata into panic.

"Sasuke-kun!" She placed a hand on his chest to hold him up, and another hand on his back for securer support.

"Sorry," said Sasuke with a raspy voice. He turned his head to give Hinata a more appropriate response, but stopped when he found how close their faces were to each other. He turned away quickly, straightening himself up.

Hinata felt her cheeks warm up, and turned away as well, taking back her hands and putting all focus on the small bon fire.

Things had been a little more awkward between the two since ever since Sasuke had woken up in Hinata's arms the hour before. The tension had almost passed, but new tensions were rising.

To her left-side, Naruto sat cross-legged. He was in a pout, and his hands were in fists on his lap. His slouching, plus the slightly narrowed eyes, only showed how irritated he was.

Next to him, on his left-side, Kiba had an identical look on his face, but a low, soft growl rumbled in his throat.

Shino was next to the dog-boy. He only pushed his glasses farther up his nose; a mutual sign that he was entertained by both boys' reaction towards Sasuke and Hinata.

Neji, next to Shino, was a little more clueless. He waited patiently for the fish to finish cooking. They started to brown nicely, and a salty aroma flowed delicately in the air.

Shikamaru, sitting between Neji and Sasuke, only paid mind to the bonfire, and the cooking fish. "This fire is too small." He commented as he stood up.

"I'll be back. We've run out of that special coal, so we need more wood."

The boys nodded at him. "Be careful." Said Hinata in her usual high voice.

Shikamaru nodded at her, and was off.

It was light enough, but somehow the woods he stepped through looked dark. Must be because the sun was not over head anymore.

It grew quieter with each step he took away from the group. The only sounds heard were his footsteps against roots and sand, and the distant hushing of the beach. His head was down as he walked, spotting for any potential fire wood.

"Ah, found one." He squatted down to grab a large piece of dried wood. When his hand was only a few centimeters away from it, he paused. It looked unusual. So out of place from all the other pieces of wood in this wilderness. Like it was set there on purpose. Eyeing it, he noticed what looked like a thin string of chakra tied to the top end. The end of the string seemed to lead deeper into the trees, where it was almost completely dark. "Tch," he stood up.

"How troublesome." His eyes grazed over the string and to where the end of it would be. "I'm not stupid." He then began to walk away from it, but not towards the group. His mission of finding firewood was not done yet.

Although, now Shikamaru's guard was up, he failed to realize that he had walked into an open area. A grassy meadow, with colorful blossoms contrasting the greenery. A large boulder to the side. It was like a decorated garden. Shikamaru stopped in his tracks at the sight. Was this an illusion?

Surely he would have seen this place in the time he was here. But this was his first time. It sent a feeling of premonition into his body. He braced himself. Something would be coming.

His fears were granted when a low, dry chuckle pierced his ears. The sound came from somewhere in the meadow, but it didn't look like anyone was there. Shikamaru took his hands out of his pockets, and he went into a fighting stance.

In scanning the area, his eyes became fixated on the boulder that was a few feet away from him to the side. The low chuckle had turned into giggling. The type of giggling you'd hear from a teenage girl. This caught Shikamaru by surprise. The sound was so familiar.

From behind the rock, a girl with blonde hair tied up in a ponytail stepped out. Her blue eyes, lacking pupils, were bright. A toothy grin on her smooth, pale face. She stepped out with her hand on her hip.

"Ino…" Shikamaru was gawking now. "Ino…?" he could hardly believe it. He felt his heart sore at the sight of her.

"But… you're dead." His voice was soft. A whisper.

Ino approached him with her usual strut. She stood in front of him, a bright smile still on her face. She looked just like her cocky self.

But the words she said clashed with her facial expression. Like she was mocking him.

"I wouldn't be dead if you'd been quicker."

That felt like a sword had been plunged through Shikamaru's heart. "I'm sorry!" he said, putting his hands out so he could grab her by the shoulders and pull her to him.

But his hands gripped at nothing. Somehow, she had moved, and was now sitting cross-legged on the boulder. Shikamaru gawked at her some more. It was too quick a movement for her.

Ino winked at him. "There you go again, slow-poke."

She sounded just like her. She moved just like her. But yet, the words were not hers. Shikamaru composed himself, and placed his fisted hands back into his pockets. His eyes were closed, and head bowed.

"You're not real." He said. Pain in the tone of his voice. "This is an illusion."

It was as if he was chanting to himself.

Ino tilted her head, and now a confused expression was on her face.

"What're ya talkin' about?" she asked, swinging her dangling legs at the edge of the boulder like a child. "I'm as real as that out-of-date ponytail behind your big head." She said it like a tease.

Shikamaru slowly took his hands out of his pockets, and put them together with the index fingers pointing up. Before doing anything else, he gave Ino one last look.

She stared back. "Shika…" her face transitioned to sadness, and she slipped off the rock to approach him.

"I'll disappear again if you do that." It tore him apart to see such a face. But he knew what must be done. He closed his eyes tight, but was still reluctant to break the jutsu that was tricking him.

"Shika, please," begged Ino. She was closer now. Close enough that she was caressing Shikamaru's cheek with her hand. That caused him to hold his breath.

"I don't want to disappear again." It sounded like she was about to cry. That only put more pressure on Shikamaru whether to break the spell or not. He loved Ino. Always had. Her death almost killed him, but still, there he stood. Crippled but still strong.

"I'm sorry," he breathed through clenched teeth.

"Shika—"

"Release!"

Everything became quiet again. He opened his eyes, and saw the meadow was gone. So was she. And her touch. "Ino…" his heart was aching yet again. Reminded of what precious thing he had lost.

"Impressive." Said a chilling voice.

Shikamaru almost jumped. He turned to the direction of the voice, and his eyes grew wide when he saw who it was coming from. "Orochimaru." He hissed.

"To think you'd give in to your heart's desire. I underestimated you."

The man with long black hair, white skin, and a loose robe stepped out from the shadows, into a streak of dim light. A satisfied, but surprised smile stretching his lips.

"You're sick," said Shikamaru.

"I'd like to think so." Joked Orochimaru with little humor.

It was just him, and the snake-man. If he could take this guy out, then the group wouldn't have to worry about anything while looking for the jade stone. He had to keep Orochimaru distracted.

"What do you want?" he asked, stretching his shadow ever so slowly towards the pale figure. The trees gave enough darkness to supply his shadow jutsu.

"You know what I want." Replied Orochimaru sleekly.

"Sorry to tell ya, but I have no idea where the stone is." Replied Shikamaru casually. His shadow still stretching.

"That's alright." Said Orochimaru, his grin seemingly growing more devious.

"I have no use for you, or those other five. I only need Hinata." He stepped forward. Like he was giving Shikamaru more advantage.

"You are but a dead tree in the middle of the road. You need to be moved aside."

So close. The shadow was so close. Just a bit more.

"Heh. You can try." Challenged Shikamaru. Shikamaru took a step forward.

"I think I will." With a slight nod of his head, Shikamaru was suddenly wrapped in chakra strings, and violently pulled back with such force, that his feet were off the ground.

The strings slammed his back against a large tree. He let out gasp and coughed out blood from the sheer impact. The strings weren't done with him yet. They began to circle him. Tie him against the tree. It was so tight, Shikamaru felt that they would pierce through his clothes, into his skin. Then the strings began tying his neck against the tree, as well as his head. He couldn't move at all. Breathing was painful.

His head began to swim from the lack of air in his lungs, and his body throbbed from the sudden impact and the pressure of the chakra strings. At this rate, he would not make it. Fighting back was useless.

Everything blacked out slowly. The only thing keeping his body from going completely limp were the strings holding him in place.

An insect caught Shino's attention. It had crawled up his shoulder, and squeaked something into his ear. No one noticed, and this relieved the bug-boy. According to the insect, something drastic had happened, and he didn't want to cause panic into the group when they were finally relaxed.

"Shikamaru-kun is taking a while..." said Hinata.

"Yeah," agreed Naruto. "It doesn't usually take him this long to gather—"

"I'll go look for him." Cut in Shino. This caused Kiba and Hinata to sit up straight. Even through the glasses they could see the worry in Shino's face. They've known him long enough.

"What's going on?" asked Kiba, a growl growing deep in his throat.

Shino stood up, and pushed his glasses farther up his nose. Then placed both hands in his pockets.

"It's nothing. I bet he's just having trouble with the amount of wood he's carrying. My bugs will guide me. Don't worry about it."

His tone was cool, calm, and collected. But his former teammates were not convinced. Kiba began to stand, mouth open in protest, but Shino held up a hand. That was enough to keep the dog-boy quiet.

"Kiba, please refrain from opposing me. I'll be back with Shikamaru."

With that, and a quick movement of the hand, he was gone. It was too fast a motion for Kiba to catch him.

Everyone only looked on, surprised. They've known Shino, but not as well as Kiba and Hinata.

Hinata had her hands in fists on her lap. Her eyes concentrated on the fire that was dying slowly.

Sasuke eyed her. The light of the fire reflected off his dark eyes. It hurt him to see her look so worried. More worried then usual. Unsure of how to comfort properly, he only patted her back. She looked at him, and smiled slightly. This alone warmed his heart. He looked away, and put his gazes on the fire. Hinata did the same. Naruto noticed this gesture.

With his lips still in a pout, and a cheek puffed, he asked, "What're you two smiling about?"

Both answered without looking at him, "Nothing."

Shino wandered about, walking cautiously with both hands in his pockets. As if to catch something, he put one hand out in front of him. Then put a finger of that hand to his face. An insect was on it. He nodded at the insect as if in conversation. No words were exchanged. Only the sound of steps crunching on dead leaves occupied available ears.

In what felt like half an hour, Shino stopped. A tree shadowed over him… and something else. When he looked up, fear and anger flowed through his body. He felt his heart race, and the blood rush.

"Shika…" his mouth felt stiff, as did his body. Still, he managed to approach the boy; a hand reached out to make sure what he saw was real.

His shaky hand touched Shikamaru's leg, and twitched as he drew it back. With narrowed eyes, he could see that the boy was tied with many, thin chakra strings. "Orochimaru…" he spat in anger.

What sounded like a hissing laugh pierced his ears, and caused him to stand cold, stiff.

"You called?" said a voice that sent chills down the bug-boy's spine.

Shino twisted his body to look back slightly. Sure enough, there stood a pale man with damp, black hair, and a loose robe.

"What have you done to Shikamaru?" he asked coolly with that hint of anger burning in his voice.

Orochimaru chuckled.

"Wouldn't you like to find out?"

"You're sick."

"Everyone keeps saying that."

As swiftly as he could, Shino turned and threw shuriken stars at Orochimaru's direction. He could hear them cut the air, and stop at the trunks of trees… meaning he hit nothing. When he looked, and focused, there was no target. Orochimaru had disappeared.

Shino pushed his glasses further up his nose. His posture looked casual, but his guard was up to a high level.

A chilling laugh echoed through the trees. Then suddenly, the ground began to shake. Shino did his best to keep his balance; spreading his feet apart, crouching down, placing a hand on a nearby tree. Birds chirped, and flew out of their homes. Squirrels and other small animals did the same, except on foot.

Through the rumbling, he heard sounds that pierced his ear drums, and crawled into his gut. The sound that signified who his enemy was; who he was dealing with. It brought his hairs on end, and created goose bumps on his skin.

The sound of rattling, and hissing. Loud enough to stop a living being cold in their tracks. Namely Shino.

A giant, brown snake --large enough that each scale on its surface can be emphasized-- rose from the ground approximately two arms' length away from the bug boy's feet. The dirt around it moved to the side, welcoming its appearance. The trees in its way happily fell over, and rocks and pebbles rolled away noisily.

Shino used up precious moments frozen in awe and fear at the creature in front of him. Behind him was Shikamaru's body, momentarily forgotten.

Along the beach, the rest of the group felt the rumble as well. Not as strong as where Shino stood, but strong enough. The sands shifted, as did the people on it.

Each individual braced themselves through the rumbling, knowing they were safe from the harm of falling trees, but still waiting for the movement to stop.

Through the shaking, Sasuke viewed the forest through one open eye. He noticed the birds flying away. It seemed normal enough. Then he saw small animals scurrying away from the trees. Unless there was something in the forest, shouldn't animals be staying in their little homes in the event of an earthquake?

Opening both eyes half way, he shifted them around the greenery, narrowing them to get better focus. Something caught his attention. Something growing in the middle of the forest. That definitely wasn't normal.

To be sure, he activated his Sharingan, both eyes wide open. His mouth gaped open in shock.

Hands over her head, Hinata looked over to Sasuke, noticing his open mouth, and red eyes. "S-Sasuke-kun?"

"It's that thing…" his voice sounded strained, almost like a hoarse whisper; as if he didn't want to say anymore. "O-Orochimaru…"

Everyone in the group gasped, and either turned or looked up to where Sasuke was focused on.

In the distance, where the orange of the sunset stripped the bright blue of the sky into a darker shade was the silhouette of a snake; its mouth open, its tongue flailing about. When its stringy body was exposed a good deal, the shaking of the ground stopped.

"Wh-what the hell is that?" asked Naruto in amazement, though his eyes were wide with fearful memory.

Neji and Hinata had activated their Byakuugan, and Kiba could only trust what his eyes could see.

"Oh no," Hinata's voice held despair.

"What is it? What else do you see?" prompted Kiba, his eyes still on the horizon.

"Shikamaru-kun… Shino-kun…"

Neji looked at his cousin, then put his gazes back on the giant snake. This time, his eyes shifted, looking for the meaning behind his sister's petrified expression.

His mouth gaped open at found sight. "I see them." Was all he could say.

Naruto gritted his teeth, then stood. Determination was burning in his blue eyes.

"We gotta get to them! Before that thing—"

"No!" Interrupted Neji. Everyone looked at him surprised.

"I'll get those two, and bring them back. Then I'll lead that snake here, and we'll fight it together."

Sasuke said nothing. His eyes went back to concentrating on the snake; Neji's plan was simple, and there was a high chance that it wouldn't work. But there was more meaning behind it then the others realized, and Sasuke had a gist of it.

Hinata was uncertain. Little noises left her throat, finding words to say. Naruto looked down at the Hyuuga boy; hands balled into fists, teeth gritted, eyes narrowed and angry.

Kiba had on a similar stance, except he was sitting, and his eyes were

wide with surprise at Neji's plan.

"That's a stupid plan!" argued Naruto. "What if the snake gets you? Shikamaru and Shino will be gone by then!"

"Trust me on this!" Neji spat back. "Besides, unlike you, I carefully plan out my movements. I'll be safe."

Naruto could only glare at him in response.

He seemed content with that.

With silver eyes glinting, he stood.

"Neji-nii-san!" called Hinata.

Neji twisted his head to side to look at her.

"Be careful." She said.

Unsmiling, Neji only nodded, then ran off towards the forest. He disappeared into the shadows of the greenery.

The four left behind could only stay where they were, and watch him off.

The giant snake stared down at its bug-boy prey, and the body behind it. What sounded like a laugh gurgled from its throat.

"Will you sacrifice your comrade's body for your life? Or will you both be eaten together?" Orochimaru's voice echoed.

Shino looked up with his mouth gaped open. Sweat beading on his face.

The snake didn't give much time for the boy to answer its question. With a loud hiss, it lunged down on where he stood. Shino quickly dodged it, leaping behind him, and slamming his back against Shikamaru's limp body. He landed with an "Oof!" on one knee.

Twisting his body, he eyed his companion. If Shikamaru was dead, he could easily leave him there, and save himself. No point in saving something that could be of no use.

But over the years, he had grown to be one of his trusted friends. He wasn't as cold as he had been in the past. Shikamaru was more then just some boy in the same village.

Quickly, he summoned his bugs, mentally telling them to eat at the chakra strings that held Shikamaru in place. A normal kunai would not cut through them.

When the snake rose again, its yellow eyes seemed to stay on Shino, locking him in place. He couldn't move. Fear gripped at his gut. His heart raced immensely. What he saw in those demonic eyes was more then just the reflection of his face. There was blood, rapid movements, death. His death.

The snake came at him with its mouth wide open. He could do nothing but stand, and wait for it to engulf him. When darkness surrounded him, his ribs felt the sensation of being crushed, and he could taste the blood as it gurgled out of his mouth.

At least, that was what he saw.

As a scream left his throat from the vision, he realized what the power of this snake was: To show you one way you'd die, and to make it your fear. Unless he got control of his body once more, he'd die the way he feared. And if his body could not move, then his bugs could not move either.

His mind scrambled for a way out of this mess. Nothing that came to mind seemed to work. All hope was lost.

The snake let out a hiss, and opened its mouth, only to snap it close.

"I'm sorry…" said Shino through gritted teeth. He directed those last words at the people he would let down because he could not fight back.

Cringing, he closed his eyes, preparing for the pain ahead. He heard the sound of the snake giving one last taunting hiss before it came at him; its body slithering rapidly over the gravel.

"Shino!" Neji had pounced on the bug-boy, dragging him out of the way of the snake. At the same time, he snatched Shikamaru's body from the tree, just after the insects had finished eating at the chakra strings that held him.

The giant snake only ended up crashing and biting at trees that were in its way.

Neji, with Shino and Shikamaru wrapped in either arm, skidded on his back on the forest floor a few meters away from the attack. His head felt like it was swimming momentarily, and his back felt slightly burnt.

"You just stood there! What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up and slipping his arms out from underneath both bodies.

Shino propped himself on trembling elbows. He could only stare at what would have been the end of him.

"N-Neji…" he said, his voice shaking, showing the fear had affected him more then anyone would suspect. "I don't know. I… I couldn't move, a-and…"

The sound of rattling and hissing ceased him from saying anymore. His eyes under the shades widened from the sight of the snake turning its head slowly to face him and his comrades. It flicked its tongue. He held his breath.

"Snap out of it!" Neji had jumped out in front of him in defense before the giant snake could go any further. It had lunged forward too fast for even Shino to notice, especially in his current state.

Neji held one hand out towards the snake, controlling a jutsu that looked like a net of blue electricity, shielding them from harm. The other hand he held under his chin with two fingers touching his lips. His silver eyes were strained and concentrated. The skin that surrounded them pulsed, and the veins were popped out like roots under his skin. Sweat beaded on his face. The light reflecting off his jutsu caused them to glisten.

The creature let out a loud, hissing roar as it bounced off the giant net. Sounds like lightning and static echoed through the air. Acid saliva sputtered out of the snake's mouth, and melted anything it landed on.

"Go! Get Shikamaru and return to the others!"

Shino looked on, his mouth gaping open. All attention still on the snake. He was so close to death, everything felt hazy, and unreal.

"Damn it, Shino!"

Under his shades, he shut his eyes, and with weak legs, did his best to stand.

"I'm not just going to leave this to you." Though his voice was low, it was also determined.

Neji turned his head to look at him from the corner of his eye. From what he heard, from what he could see, Shino wasn't going to back down any time soon.

For moments, all they could do was look at each other until one accepted the situation.

"Fine," said Neji, turning away, and dropping his arm, making the bright net disappear. He spread his feet apart from each other, bent his knees, and stretched his arms from his body with hands pointed towards the enemy; his fighting stance. Shino walked up next to him; his body recovering from shock. He himself went into his own fighting stance; feet spread apart, shoulders tensed up, hands up and ready to summon his insects.

Both were ready for anything that would come at them.

Or so Neji thought.

"Things will never change," a voice that sounded like a mix of many pierced through the Hyuuga boy's ear. His eyes widened in shock.

"Even if you save the village, you will still be under Hinata. You will never be in a class higher then her."

Who was speaking? There was something familiar about the voice. Surely it couldn't be…

Slowly, he lifted his chin, eyes scanning the snake from its large body that touched the ground, to its head that hovered over him.

He only saw the snake. It's glinting yellow eyes, a tongue that flicked out of its mouth every moment.

"You'll always be working under Hinata's family. You being one of the savior's of Konoha will change nothing."

He let out a gasp from realization.

It was his father's voice who spoke, mixed with the many voices of members of his family. Orochimaru's was one of the more distinct voices as well. It sent chills down the boy's spine.

"Shut up." He spat.

Shino looked at him, surprised. "Neji?"

He was ignored.

"Changes have already occurred, and will keep occurring. I'm not the same boy from the preliminaries. I now know that things can't stay the same forever. Don't think you can intimidate me with old thoughts!"

The snake opened its mouth in what looked like a taunting laugh. Then it snapped its jaw closed, and continued to look down upon its prey.

"Why don't you prove that fact to me?" challenged the snake. "Show me what you've got."

Neji composed himself back into fighting stance. No more words were exchanged. Only action.

"What's going on?" Kiba asked, agitated. He bit onto his bottom lip at the suspense. From what he could see, trees were falling down, and dust flew in the distance. The silhouette of the snake creature occasionally came up or launched down. It seemed like a chaotic battle.

"Hey, what's happening?" asked Naruto angrily. There was no reply. Sasuke and Hinata were too caught up in what they were seeing.

"Neji-nii-san…"

Hinata felt so helpless, and once again useless. The burden of being left to watch, left to sit back and wait, created a swirl of guilt inside of her. Even if she was to fight, there was a high chance she'd die in the process. That thought wasn't much comfort.

The snake reared upwards, and opened its mouth, giving one, final roaring hiss. Then it plunged downward, disappearing in a cloud of dust and a rain of trees.

Sasuke's eyes widened. He felt his body tremble, and his jaw had dropped, leaving his mouth gaping open. Sweat beaded on his temple, and slid down his skin. What made the hairs on his skin stand was Hinata's scream. She had seen it as well.

"Hinata!" Kiba and Naruto went on either side of her, hesitating on whether to lay a hand on her. The best they could do was worry.

The Hyuuga girl had on a similar expression to that of the Uchiha boy. But her trembling hands covered her gaping mouth, and her knees had failed her, making her drop to the ground. Her eyes were still attentive on what was seen.

"Hinata, hey! What did you see?" urged Naruto, squatting so he was at her level.

Kiba gritted his teeth, and twisted his body so he was facing Sasuke.

"What happened…?" he asked, breathing in slowly to keep calm.

Sasuke had his eyes closed, and his face turned away. He looked pained. Regretful.

"Shino…Neji…Shikamaru…" he choked, his voice trembling and cracking slightly. "They're…"

Kiba turned away, staring at the direction his comrades had gone to. "No way…"

Sasuke did not need to continue. Both energetic boys understood.

Hinata had begun to cry. She held herself, arms crossed over her chest, and face down. Sounds of sobs came from her throat, and she was shaking her head.

"No, no, no, no…"

Naruto bowed his head, temporarily shadowing the pain in his eyes. He stood up, and turned his body towards the greenery where the snake slowly raised its head. His hands balled into tight fists, and his teeth were clenched tightly.

"Bastard!" He shouted, and began to run forward with a roar. "I'll kill you!"

Suddenly, he was knocked back by a punch on the cheek. The force was hard enough to send him flying backwards. His back skidded on the sand.

"You idiot." said Sasuke in a rather agitated voice. Kiba and Hinata looked at him shocked, having to appear so suddenly in front of a rampaging Naruto.

The Uzumaki sat up, and wiped with the back of his hand from his mouth to the impacted cheek. "What the hell was that for!?" he cried angrily, standing up.

"Want me to kill you, too?"

"You'll die before I do." Replied Sasuke bluntly. His gazes went past the yellow-haired boy to the long-haired maiden. Her face reflected how devastated she was, but she looked calm enough.

"We need to hide." instructed Sasuke. Hinata nodded. With Kiba's help, she was able to stand on shaky knees.

"Where to?" asked Kiba.

Hinata turned to Sasuke for the answer. Her body felt too weak to activate the Byakuugan. Sasuke stared ahead with his Sharingan. His pupils moved rapidly from one direction to another. He pointed forward to where the trees and a rock wall meet.

"There's a spot there. It's well hidden. I can't guarantee the security, but it will be out of the snake's sight." He said.

"Whatever works." said Naruto. He stood next to Hinata, and looked at her with a worried expression. She was slightly slouched, her forehead beaded sweat, and her knees and hands were trembling.

"Can you make it?" he asked gently.

She looked at him with a weak smile. "I'll be fine. Thank y-you."

Then she turned to Sasuke, who was also looking at her with concerned eyes.

"Lead the way." She said, still hiccupping little sobs.

Sasuke nodded, and the four of them were off at such speed that with the naked eye all that is seen of them is a blurred dash.

In the distance they could feel the snake move. Its slithering body caused the earth to tremble under their feet. Its occasional screech of warning curdled the group's blood, but they ignored it with what effort they could. Eventually, they had made it to a cavity in a rock wall. It looked to be an abandoned home of an animal. Cobs occupied the sides, and veins had begun to grow around it, almost covering it. Kiba had had to pull the some growth out of the way so as to fit their bodies. But he made sure that once they were in, they would not be seen immediately.

"Hinata, get in first." said Sasuke. She nodded and hastily climbed in.

"Naruto, go." said Sasuke after she was settled.

"Why don't you?" he argued, his pride blinding the actual problem.

Sasuke grabbed his collar and pulled him so his face was only inches from an angry Uchiha. "I said, _go._" he repeated.

Naruto gulped, but did not budge. They stared each other down for seconds that felt like slow minutes before Naruto finally set aside his pride and climbed into the cavity after Hinata. He was angry, but he knew he could not blame the Uchiha. Sasuke was just worried. If he truly felt disdain for Naruto, he would have left him out with the snake creature. For that much, the Uzumaki was grateful. They were still friends after all… Of course, he would never admit it.

"Okay, Kiba—" before finishing, he had been shoved into the cavity by the remaining boy. His face had landed on Naruto's back, and he was so surprised, he sat up with a gasp.

"Kiba-kun!" called Hinata. The dog-boy had on a serious face, and he put a finger to his lips, encouraging the girl to keep her voice down.

Sasuke, at this point, had turned his body, and his mouth was open in an attempt to complain to the dog-boy, but he simply held his breath when the first blow came. It wasn't from that of the snake.

Naruto and Hinata cringed in the deep shadows of the cavity from the sound of Kiba's body being pelted against rock, and bones being broken. His moans haunted them. Sasuke had crawled near the edge of the opening, still camouflaged in the shadows, but his eyes could see. Guilt ate at him once more. If he were to help his comrade now, he'd basically be giving Hinata to Orochimaru on a silver platter. That, among other things, was the last thing he wanted. He gritted his teeth.

"Had enough, Kiba-kun?" asked the sickly, smooth voice of Orochimaru. Kiba gritted his teeth, and used the rock wall as a crutch to hold himself up. His arm was around the area where he would have broken ribs. Blood was already trickling out from the side of his head, and down his chin from his mouth. He didn't respond to Orochimaru's question. "Tell me where my Jade Stone is, and I might just let the three of you go."

All three boys were shocked. Had he known that specifically they have been on this beach all along? Hinata was not surprised, merely frightened. Her arms where over her head, and she was curled up in fetal position. Tears were still streaming from her eyes, making them ache.

_He won't let you go, _she thought. _He'll kill us all!_

"Go to hell!" said Kiba, spitting blood mixed with saliva at Orochimaru. The excess hit the man in the cheek, making his skin seem much paler then it really was.

Kiba did not even know what Orochimaru meant. As far as he knew, they had not found the Jade Stone. In fact, this whole encounter seemed meaningless. In his eyes, Orochimaru was beating at children for candy that they didn't have. Then a thought occurred to him. Did he mean a member of their party? Was the stone, in fact, a metaphor for an actual body? His head was throbbing at just the thought. Too much comprehension.

Orochimaru frowned at the boy's response, and wiped the blood from his cheek. He stretched out an arm towards Kiba, and it had transformed into the head and body of a snake that easily came around the boy's neck. It squeezed enough that Kiba was not able to breathe easily. His throat begged him to cough, but nothing could get in or get out of that tube.

"I could kill you right now," threatened Orochimaru. "just like your dog. He didn't die quickly and painlessly you know." he said this with a tone that was matter-of-factly, making the anger in Kiba grow even more.

"What do you mean?" the dog-boy croaked. He gripped at the snake's body, squeezing it. It only hissed and tightened around his neck in response.

"Though, it wasn't by my hands, your mutt was literally ripped apart." Having said that, Orochimaru gave out a chilling laugh. The usual that sent shivers down one's spine. "It was quite a treat to hear."

Kiba felt his face heat up. His blood boiled to the extreme, and the pupils of his eyes had thinned into slits. The fangs of his teeth seemed to have grown big enough to be noticed, and so did his claws. They squeezed at the snake arm until it scarred, and Orochimaru had had to draw back, hissing. But a satisfied smile was on his bitter face.

"You… bastard!" growled Kiba. With a roar, he lunged at the snake man. But Orochimaru easily dodged to the side, and with a kunai, slashed at Kiba's side.

Sasuke's head was well into view out of the cavity. Naruto beside him. Both attempted to crawl out of the hole in an attempt to help Kiba, but they both felt a tug at the scruff of their necks.

"No, you can't!" begged Hinata as quietly as she could. Her voice was shakier then usual. "You'll both get killed!"

"But—" both were about to argue before they heard the sound of a body impact upon the ground a few feet away from the cavity of the rock wall. All three stared with gaping mouths as Kiba stubbornly tried to prop himself on his elbows. Failing, he glanced at what remained of the group, his eyes still in slits. Though his body was weakening, determination could be seen in those eyes. A kick in the stomach from Orochimaru made all three cringe, and Hinata closed her eyes, unable to handle the sight.

Her heart beat rapidly, her hands were clamped over her ears, and she gritted her teeth. Everything seemed to be falling apart. Kiba was going to die. He had been with her, protecting her for all these years, and soon he would be no more. That thought ached her whole body.

When it seemed like her heart was going to burst, a warm atmosphere overcame her, and it felt as though a breeze was blowing up from where she sat. She refused to open her eyes, for fear of seeing the body of one of her close friends.

Naruto and Sasuke noticed a green haze, coming from behind them. They turned, and Naruto was the only one who let out a sound of surprise.

"Hinata…?"

Sasuke's eyes were wide. Though both boys saw a girl with flowing, dark hair, and a green aura radiating from her body, Sasuke saw the Firefly Princess being reawakened yet again.

Orochimaru stopped in the midst of giving the dog-boy another kick. He turned and saw the gentle, green glow. His lips stretched in a hideous grin.

"Ah, there you are." He said. Kiba, with one eye half open, looked up at his enemy in confusion, and with best efforts, turned to the direction of the green glow. He felt surprised. So this green gem had been a metaphor after all. The real stone they had been looking for had been beside them the whole time. Their hope for the village. It was Hinata.

Sasuke let his body move at this point. As Naruto stared in awe, captivated by the glow, Sasuke crawled towards the maiden, and reached out a hand. "Hinata," She was still in fetal position, and he had only touched her head in attempt to comfort her. He himself felt comforted from the warmth of the green haze. Suddenly, he felt the warmth leak into his body through his hand, and he saw the glow in his arm. Quickly, he drew back his touch from Hinata, and eyed both his hands. He was growing that gentle green.

It wasn't just the warmth he felt in his body. Something else curdled as well. Something hidden. He watched as his skin seemed to darken and pale into a gray.

"Sasuke!" exclaimed Naruto. "Your hair, your eyes…" Sasuke could see the devastated, but amazed look on Naruto's face. It reminded him of something from the past. Their last battle.

That's when the Uchiha realized. "My real self." He murmured. "It's back."

He could feel the power flowing through his veins like blood. To be specific, at that point, he felt invincible.

Naruto quickly moved to the side and crawled next to Hinata, avoiding contact with her for fear that he would transform into Sasuke's similar state. Except with the inability to control himself. Hinata still glowed, and she didn't seem to move, except for the flow of her hair and clothes.

"Ah, have I not seen this form of you before, Sasuke-kun?" said Orochimaru, approaching the cavity one step at a time. Kiba attempted to crawl out of the way, but only managed to flip onto his stomach with excruciating pain.

Sasuke came out of the hole, and stood confidently in front of it. His nails were claws that were stretched at his sides, and his teeth were bared. His schleras were black, but his pupils were whitish-yellow. A black mark that shaped like a tilted 'X' marked from between his eyebrows to the tip of his nose, and under each eye. His lips were black as well, and his hair had grown longer, and duller. The true form of his inner power. Sasuke was not glowing green anymore. All peace had left him. His body craved to kill, and there was no moral behind it.

By this point, Hinata had stopped glowing, and she fainted, tilting to the side. Her head landed on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto looked at her surprised.

"Hang in there!" he said, supporting her body with one arm.

"S-Sasuke-kun… please be … careful…"

His eyes then diverted to Sasuke's back, and he could feel the power surging out of him. Orochimaru looked like he was more then ready for this upcoming battle.

As a thought occurred to him, he swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat.

Had he, yet again, lost Sasuke to power?

The shocked expression on Naruto's face felt permanent. Hinata had fainted by his side, and behind Orochimaru was Kiba's body, beaten and fading.

"It feels good, doesn't it, Sasuke-kun?" asked Orochimaru, licking his lips with his long tongue. One side of Sasuke's lips twitched upwards in a smirk. That was his only response.

"You can keep that power, only if you give me Hinata-san."

The smile on Sasuke's face faded.

"Otherwise, I'll have to kill you." Orochimaru took out a kunai knife from his robe, and positioned it so he would be ready to block.

Sasuke crouched. Then, he lunged. Orochimaru pressed forward as well, and it looked like the two would hit each other head on. Sasuke's clawed hand gripped at Orochimaru's wrist. The Kunai was so close to the Uchiha's face, but he pushed forward. Then he disappeared, and Orochimaru was left to stagger forward briefly. Suddenly, he was sent flying through the air by a kick that sent him against a tree. Sasuke stood where Orochimaru once did, placing his leg down slowly. He had disappeared again when a Kunai came his way at eye-level. It struck a tree.

The snake-man was on one knee, panting. The hand he had thrown the kunai with was on his shoulder; the side that struck the tree. His black hair was a mess that covered half of his pale face.

"Quite good, Sasuke-kun… we truly miss you at the organization."

A figure had appeared out of nowhere behind him, and it grabbed at his neck and lifted him up. Sasuke let the menace dangle. He was tall enough. Orochimaru choked, and drool had trickled from his mouth, but despite his position, he smirked and began to laugh. Sasuke's eyes went wide. What he held in his hand that appeared in a puff of smoke was a snake, and its head dangled lifeless from his grip. Sasuke threw it to the side in disgust. His eyes shifted from one side to another. His heart was beating rapidly.

Naruto had his eyes shifting as well. Everything was too fast, and he was almost jealous for not having such speed. His eyes caught the bloody body of Kiba, and he achingly wanted to grab it and keep it by his side. Kiba wasn't dead. But his body was too weak to move by itself. Still… if Naruto were to leave the cavity, he'd have to bring Hinata's body with him, and at the same time, put them both in harms way. If he were to leave Hinata in the cave, that would give Orochimaru a chance to take her away. His eyes widened when he saw something shuffle the bushes behind Kiba's body. "Sasuke!"

Sasuke turned in response, and caught the movement. But at the sight of it, he couldn't move. His eyes were permanently wide, and his mouth gaped open. His body twitched, and he fell on one knee. Suddenly, he was feeling weak. It was the same for Naruto. It felt like energy was being drained out of him. Kiba was helpless. But his body was in too much pain to feel the growing of weakness.

Orochimaru came out of the bushes, though his figure was shadowed at this point. The sun was on the brink of setting. The sky had darkened enough to show the face of night. In his hands he held what looked like a gourd from the Village of Sand. From the mouth of the gourd, it looked like mist was entering it. But from where?

Sasuke focused, and fought weakness to stay standing. When he looked at Kiba's body, it looked like it was smoking. It was the same with the cavity in the rock wall. The smoke radiated from the bodies and into the mouth of the gourd. Naruto felt energy leaving fast. "S-Sasuke!"

It made sense. This was how the villagers were killed. Their energy had been absorbed.

"A new kind of jutsu…" said Sasuke. "But… why didn't you just use that on the rest of the group…? Why did you have to make them fight?"

Orochimaru smiled widely, and held the gourd forward. "It was much more fun that way." He began to approach forward, and with each step came the painful sensation of Sasuke's life force steaming out of him. It was worse on Kiba, for his body was already on the brink of no life.

"Why do you reveal it now?" asked Sasuke. Orochimaru stopped an arm's length from the boy.

"Because I thought I could handle you. I guess not." He cradled the gourd.

"I've discovered another way to stay alive forever. It saves the hassle of looking for a young, strong body, and switching souls. With this gourd, I can absorb other life forces. The best thing is it only works for me, because I made it that way." Orochimaru howled in his chilling laughter. In that time, Sasuke forced his legs to move forward. They felt like extra weights on his body.

"Orochi…maru…!" He lunged forward, temporarily forgetting his losing of energy. Orochimaru easily slid to one side. Sasuke attempted again, but faster. It was a useless game of cat and mouse. Naruto was quickly growing fed up.

"Damn it…" At the same time that he felt the energy flow out of his body, he could feel the boiling of his blood, and his heart racing faster then possible.

"Damn it… damn it… damn it…" Claws began to replace the nails on his fingers, his whiskers grew thicker, and fangs began to make themselves visible in his mouth. His eyes diverted to red, and the pupils had turned into slits.

He eyed the situation. All he had to do was destroy the gourd. Then maybe, just maybe, things would end. He jumped out of the cavity, and pounced at Orochimaru. The snake man didn't count on this. He failed to dodge as Naruto clawed at his back, ripping the robe. The gourd slipped out of his hands, and flew into the air. Time seemed to slow at that moment, and Orochimaru's exclamation sounded distant. "No!"

But the gourd did not fall. It did not shatter. Someone had caught it. Someone that Sasuke had been after since the day he was left alone as an Uchiha.

"Itachi." The name sent a bitter taste on his tongue. Though, his body ached to kill, his mind was rational enough. He didn't know what to do. His body stood still, and his eyes stayed on his big brother as Itachi examined the gourd.

"I've been wanting my hands on this." He said, placing what looked like a cork screw over the mouth. Everyone felt their energies rising shortly after.

"Itachi-kun," said Orochimaru, crawling towards the Akatsuki member, and staggering to his feet. "Give me the gourd."

Itachi only looked at him, then at the gourd. "This?" While one hand held it from the bottom, the other caressed the sutra on it. Then suddenly, it was ripped off. Orochimaru screamed. "You fool! Now you will never be granted with the power you sought!" Shortly after that was said, he was coughing out blood. Looking down, he saw a blood, clawed hand, reach out of his stomach. Naruto had stabbed him from behind.

"I don't want power from someone who was defeated by a child." said Itachi. He threw the gourd against the rock wall, and it shattered. There was nothing inside but mere air.

Orochimaru's mouth gaped open, and both blood and drool trickled out. "B-bastard…" He fell to his knees and onto his face when Naruto jerked his hand out.

That was the end of Orochimaru.

Itachi began to walk away.

"Wait!" called Sasuke, taking a step towards his brother. Itachi stopped, and turned.

"Fight me!"

Itachi closed his eyes and looked away.

"I said, fight me!" Sasuke took another step forward. His brother sighed. "No." he answered.

"What?"

"It wouldn't be fair."

"Itachi!"

"I wouldn't want to be defeated by the demonic side of my brother."

At that Sasuke stopped with his mouth open, about to say something. Itachi looked at him one last time before walking away.

"Find me when you're in better control."

"Ita—"

Then he was gone, seemingly disappearing from thin air. The rational side of Sasuke was at awe. Had he just been praised by his brother? And at the same time, insulted? He was strong now… defeat of the other would be easy.

Still, the chaotic side was dominant, and it hadn't been able to do the killing it wanted.

In a sudden surge of energy, Sasuke let out a cry, and his eyes in slits looked at Naruto; the thief of his prey. Anger thrived in his veins, and he lunged forward.

Naruto, shocked, blocked his face by forming an 'x' with his arms, and he felt his back impact against a tree; hard enough that the tree dented. Naruto let out a cry, and kicked the dark-haired demon. Sasuke flew back and landed on both feet with one hand dragged on the ground.

"Sasuke!" shouted Naruto, lunging forward with his bloody hand stretched out in a jabbing position. Sasuke easily dodged and kicked Naruto's back so he slammed against the rock wall. Particles of rock came raining down, and Hinata slowly awoke from the shaking.

Naruto was suddenly angry. There had been a hidden longing to defeat Sasuke; to have him begging for mercy because of his ruthlessness. It had been sleeping inside him for as long as he could remember. From the day Sasuke had left him to now. And now, it had been awakened. There was no stopping the Uzumaki.

It was the same for Sasuke. He had wanted Naruto dead in the beginning. Maybe that feeling of guilt had been a cover up all along. Now he had a chance to redeem himself… for not killing Naruto in the past.

"Naruto!" Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the collar and punched him, letting him go in the process so that he was sent sprawling backwards.

Naruto sat up and wiped his lips, then grabbed Sasuke by the waist and got him on his back so he was straddling him. He quickly took a kunai out from his pocket, and stabbed at Sasuke's head. But Sasuke grabbed the boy's wrists, and the knife was held between them with its point deathly close to Sasuke's eye.

"STOP!" The call was too faint to be heard. Sasuke arched his back so that Naruto bounced off his stomach, and he used that as an opportunity to switch the position and steal the knife so that it was Naruto who had to worry about his eye getting stabbed.

"Sasuke-kun! Naruto-kun!" Hinata, despite the blood rushing to her head, jumped out of the cavity, ran towards the two, and grabbed Sasuke from behind.

So while Sasuke straddled Naruto, Hinata had her arms around Sasuke from behind and pressed her face against his back.

"Stop! Stop it, please!" She was crying.

Sasuke and Naruto paused, and processed her voice. As soon as the sun had disappeared, leaving the area pitch black, a green glow had subsided part of the darkness. It came from Hinata.

"Sasuke-kun… put the knife down… please…" Her voice was suddenly calm.

So was Sasuke. His hair shortened, his eyes softened, his skin brightened, and his claws disappeared. The knife, he placed aside, and Naruto's eyes were wide. He let out a breath of relief, and his expression softened as well. He was soon back to his blue-eyed self.

"Sasuke-kun…"

"Hinata…" Sasuke got off of Naruto, and turned so that he was holding Hinata against his chest. Her glow was truly warm, but that was only one reason he wanted to hold her close. "Let's go home." She nodded.

It had already been two weeks, and still, their bodies ached. Kiba's injuries weren't completely healed, but he was strong enough to sit up on the futon he was required to stay on for about a month. Hinata was also required to rest, but she helped nurse each boy.

"Naruto-kun, don't move too much if it still hurts." She requested gently.

"B-but I need to go!" he complained. Hinata blushed.

"A-alright. Tsunade-sama!" The blonde woman came into the yellow tent. "What is it?" she asked.

"N-Naruto-kun needs t-to—"

"Oh, I see."

Tsunade approached the boy on the futon and carried him like a damsel. His eyes went wide and his face went red from embarrassment and anger.

"Baa-chan! Wh-what are you—Put me down!" Tsunade only nodded and carried him out. "Yeah, yeah." And they were out of the tent.

Hinata could not help but giggle after letting out a sigh. Kiba was laughing, though he cringed with each breath. Sasuke laid flat on his futon, staring up at the yellow ceiling. Hinata stopped smiling and went over to him, going down on her knees so she was at least a level closer to him.

"Is something wr-wrong, Sasuke-kun?" she asked. He looked at her, than put a hand to her cheek. She blushed, but didn't pull back.

"You still stutter." He said.

"I-I'm so-so-sorry." She responded, currently hating herself for being so shaky.

"It's fine." He lowered his hand, and kept his eyes on her. "It's you after all." A half-smile twitched one corner of his lips. Hinata's face grew even redder and it seemed as though her breath got caught in her throat. Then she looked down so her bangs shadowed her eyes. She took Sasuke's hand in both of hers, and held it against her cheek.

"Thank you."

Sasuke could feel a trickle of a tear wet his finger, but he did not complain.

Kiba looked on in awe. He was amazed, not just of how Sasuke was sweet to Hinata, but of how he wasn't completely jealous. In fact, he was relieved. A smile stretched his bruised lips, and he looked away.

Outside, Naruto had finished his business, and he trudged towards the Hokage with an angry face. "Tsunade-baa-chan! You didn't have to carry me!"

Tsunade laughed. "You were as light as a feather, just like a woman. It was no problem at all." Naruto gawked.

"Y-you just called me a woman!"

"Yes I did."

"Why you—"

Tsunade leaned in –but not too much, for Naruto was close to her height--, and placed a kiss on his forehead. That kept the Uzumaki quiet. His face was slightly red but from embarrassment.

"Thank you again, Naruto, for your efforts, for this village. You truly deserve to be Hokage." she said with a smile as she drew back. Then she began to walk away when a group of children began to gather up around the boy.

They were all tugging at his band-aids, arms, and pants. Despite doing different things, they were all saying the same thing: "Thank you!"

At this, Naruto felt his heart warm, and he smiled. Tears almost welled up in his eyes, but he held them in.But then the smile disappeared when an epiphany occurred to him. He knelt down on one knee –wincing in the process--, and placed a hand on a little boy with glasses that looked just like Shino's, but less suspicious. The children around him made noises of awe, and the boy with his head being touched had sparkles in his eyes.

"There's more then one hero here." said Naruto. "And if it weren't for them, I wouldn't be here."

His heart ached as memories of his deceased group flowed through his mind.

Neji and Shino making him angry with their smart remarks. Shikamaru and him fooling around in the village and causing harmless havoc.

"But you're still a hero." said the child with Shino's glasses. "You didn't have to help save Konoha, but you did."

Naruto's eyes were wide with surprise. The smile returned to his face.

"Thank you." He ruffled the child's hair, then began to walk back to the yellow tent.

**End**


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